Courtesy: FSU Athletics
Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida State swimming and diving teams handed out awards for the 2022-23 season on Saturday.
“It was a great day to come together and celebrate our season,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “We’ve built an incredible team culture and I am very proud of our student-athletes and what they’ve achieved this season.”
Yordan Yanchev and Edith Jernstedt were named the Most Valuable for swimming, while Samantha Vear and Tazman Abramowicz took home the honor for divers.
Yanchev won bronze in the 500 free at the ACC Championships, lowering his own school record at 4:12.97. He also competed at his third NCAA Championships where he turned in his fastest 1650 free time (14:56.18).
Jernstedt earned All-America second-team honors after placing 13th in the 200 fly at the NCAA Championships (1:55.15). She also added her career best in the race in prelims at 1:54.64.
Abramowicz made his fifth NCAA Championship appearance after finishing fifth on 3-meter at the ACC Championships. Vear also competed in two championship finals in the springboard events at ACCs, finishing sixth on 3-meter and fourth on 1-meter. She advanced to her first NCAA Championships where she earned All-America second-team honors behind a 10th place finish on 1-meter.
Both Abramowicz and Vear earned All-ACC Academic Team recognition.
Tommaso Baravelli and Julia Mansson took home the Freshman of the Year. Baravelli scored in three events at the ACC Championships and was named to the All-ACC Academic Team.
Mansson qualified for the NCAA Championships as a rookie in the 200 breast, set the Morcom Aquatics Center pool record in the race, and was selected as the ACC Swimmer of the Week on Nov. 1.
In addition, two other freshmen earned team awards including Max Wilson and Sarah Evans.
Wilson was voted the Most Improved along with Maddy Huggins.
Huggins qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200 breast (2:09.55) after seeing a four-second drop from her rookie year (2:13.65). She also dropped five seconds in the 200 IM (1:59.09), while contributing points in three races at the ACC Championships.
Wilson made an immediate impact during his freshman season, turning in the second-fastest times on the team in the 50 back (22.01) and 100 back (46.40) and third-fastest in the 200 back (1:45.18). He also contributed to the 200 IM depth (1:44.97). Wilson scored at the ACC Championships in the 100 back and 200 IM.
Voted on by their teammates, Brooke Arnold and Jason Martindale won the Hardest Worker Award. The coaches also chose Evans and Mason Herbet for the annual Coaches’ Award.
Arnold swam her best time in the 100 free at the Georgia Invite, while Martindale earned a spot on the ACC team where he scored points for the team in the 200 breast.
Evans earned a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team and scored points for the Noles in the 100 and 200 back at ACCs. A 2022-23 team captain, Herbet finished sixth in the 100 back at the ACC Championships and was also a part of four relays.
The team captains for the 2023-24 season were revealed. Also chosen by their teammates, Herbet will serve his second season as the men’s team captain and will be joined by David Quirie and Zach Smith. The women will be led by Jernstedt, Victoria Cervantes, Jaden Herbert, and Phoebe Griffiths.
The Seminoles also recognized 15 seniors, including NCAA qualifier, German national champion, and school record holder Peter Varjasi, who will return to FSU for 2023-24 for a fifth season.