Natalie Lewis Inducted Into Richmond’s Hall Of Fame

by SwimSwam 0

December 19th, 2016 College, NCAA Division I Mid-Major

The University of Richmond’s 2010-11 swim team is set to be inducted into the Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame in February. The induction ceremony will honor two former Spiders, Natalie Lewis (swimming) and Ginny Doyle (women’s basketball) who lost their lives in a hot air balloon accident in May 2014.

The Hall of Fame Team of Distinction is the 2010-11 Swimming & Diving team, which swept all honors on its way to an Atlantic 10 championship, the first of a current streak of six straight conference swimming titles for the Spiders and 14 in the past 15 years.

The induction ceremony and reception is scheduled for Saturday February 4, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. in the Jepson Alumni Center on campus. The 41st Hall of Fame class will be introduced at halftime of the men’s basketball game against George Washington at 2:30 p.m. in the Robins Center.  The game will be nationally-televised by NBCSN.I’

2010-11 Swimming & Diving – Team of Distinction

No sport at Richmond has enjoyed more of a dynasty of championships than Spider Swimming & Diving.  The 2010-11 team is one of the most decorated in the program’s history.

Coach Matt Barany’s squad, captained by seniors Chrissy Brodt, Nicole LePere and the late Natalie Lewis, began a streak of what is now six consecutive Atlantic 10 titles and 14 in the past 15 years.   Richmond dominated the conference championship meet with 755 points, defeating its closest challenger by 177 points.

The Spiders also swept the A-10 Championship women’s swimming awards as sophomore Lauren Hines was named the Most Outstanding Performer, freshman Mali Kobelia was honored as the Most Outstanding Rookie Performer and head coach Matt Barany was named the Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.

During the regular season, the Spiders beat William & Mary and Georgia Southern, won a double duals with JMU and Duquesne, and scored a signature, emotional Senior Day victory over James Madison at the Robins Center pool.

Hines competed in the 2011 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke.  She was named Mid-Major All-America.  LePere was selected the 2011 Atlantic 10 Women’s Swimming Diving Student-Athlete of the Year, becoming the third-ever Spider to win the award.

The 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship meet was held in Buffalo, NY, hometown of captain Natalie Lewis, who later became director of operations for Spider women’s basketball.  Her untimely passing in May 2014 was the result of a hot air balloon accident, which also claimed the life of women’s basketball associate head coach Ginny Doyle, a 2017 Hall of Fame inductee.

News courtesy of Richmond Athletics.

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