Courtesy: Atlantic Coast Conference
GREENSBORO, N.C. – NCAA champion Mallory Comerford of Louisville and All-American Coleman Stewart of NC State headline the Atlantic Coast Conference’s yearly award winners for the 2018-19 Swimming and Diving season.
The honors, announced Friday afternoon, were determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
Comerford was voted the ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Year for the third consecutive year, while Stewart was selected as the Men’s Swimmer of the Year.
Miami’s Alicia Blagg was named ACC Women’s Diver of the Year, and fellow Hurricane Briadam Herrera was voted Men’s Diver of the Year.
NC State’s Sophie Hansson was selected as the ACC Women’s Freshman of the Year, while fellow Wolfpack swimmer Nyls Korstanje was named Men’s Freshman of the Year.
Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero was voted ACC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year, and NC State head coach Braden Holloway was named the Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
Miami’s Randy Ableman was named the ACC Women’s and Men’s Diving Coach of the Year, the first diving coach to earn both honors in the same season.
Comerford, a four-time NCAA Champion, was voted the Most Valuable Swimmer at the 2019 ACC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships. The senior from Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a three-time NCAA Champion in the 200 free, winning the title this year, and took gold in the 100 free.
Stewart earned two silver medals at the 2019 NCAA Championships, placing second in the 100 back and the 100 fly. The junior from York, Pennsylvania, was also the Co-Most Valuable Swimmer at the 2019 ACC Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
A 2019 NCAA bronze medalist on the 3-meter, Blagg also earned Honorable Mention All-America distinction on the 1-meter. The sophomore from Leeds, Englad, also won the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions at the 2019 ACC Championships.
Herrera placed second in the 3-meter competition at the 2019 NCAA Championships, and was a top-six finisher on the 1-meter, earning All-America honors in both. The senior from Havana, Cuba, also took gold at the 2019 ACC Championships in the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions.
Highlighted by two third-place finishes at the 2019 NCAA Championships, Hansson earned five total All-America honors. The rookie from Helsingborg, Sweden, was the 2019 ACC Champion in the 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay.
Korstanje was part of the silver medal relays in the 200 free and 400 free and was part of the third-place 200 medley relay at the 2019 NCAA Championships. The rookie from Nijmegen, Netherlands, also earned All-American status in the 50 free and 100 free, racking up four total All-America honors.
Albiero led the Cardinals to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, their best ever. Under his leadership, Comerford won two individual NCAA titles, and the Cardinals racked up thirteen total All-American honors.
Holloway led the Wolfpack to fourth-place at the NCAA Championships, equaling their best mark, and the best finish by any ACC men’s team. The Wolfpack men also racked up 22 All-America laurels, and won their fifth straight ACC title this past season.
Ableman guided the Hurricanes to two silvers and a bronze at the NCAA Championships, racking up six All-America honors in total. Miami divers nearly swept all six diving events at the 2019 ACC Championships, winning all three men’s competitions, and taking gold in the 1-meter and 3-meter competition on the women’s side.
Women’s Swimmer of the Year: Mallory Comerford, Louisville
Men’s Swimmer of the Year: Coleman Stewart, NC State
Women’s Diver of the Year: Alicia Blagg, Miami
Men’s Diver of the Year: Briadam Herrera, Miami
Women’s Freshman of the Year: Sophie Hansson, NC State
Men’s Freshman of the Year: Nyls Korstanje, NC State
Women’s Swim Coach of the Year: Arthur Albiero, Louisville
Men’s Swim Coach of the Year: Braden Holloway, NC State
Women’s & Men’s Diving Coach of the Year: Randy Ableman, Miami