The College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) announces the following award recipients from the 2015 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships.
Diving Awards:
The CSCAA DII Female Diver of the Year Award was presented to Elizabeth Rawlings from Wayne State University, while the Male Diver of the Year Award went to Collin Vest from Clarion University. Rawlings won the 3-Meter competition with a score of 555.70 and finished 2nd on the 1-Meter board to help lead the Warriors to a 5th place team finish. Her coach, Kelly LaCroix, was selected as the CSCAA DII Women’s Team Diving Coach of the Year for the third time. Vest won the 1-Meter competition, defending his title from 2014 with a score of 564.25 after finishing 3rd on the 3-Meter board the first night of the meet. His coach, Dave Hrovat earned his 11th CSCAA DII Men’s Diving Coach of the Year honor. His athletes have earned 43 individual NCAA DII titles and over 250 CSCAA All-America citations.
Swimming Awards:
Queens University of Charlotte Sophomore Patricia Castro-Ortega was named the CSCAA DII Female Swimmer of the Year after winning four individual titles, all in record time leading the Royals to their first NCAA team title. Castro-Ortega will go into the record books individually in the 200 Individual Medley (1:58.91), 200 Freestyle (1:45.27), 500 Freestyle (4:43.37), 100 Freestyle (48.92) as well as in the 800 Freestyle Relay .
Sophomore Matthew Josa, from Queens University of Charlotte, was named the CSCAA DII Male Swimmer of the Year for the second straight year setting records in three individual events on his way to winning four. Josa established new records in the 200 Individual Medley (1:41.94), 100 Butterfly (44.89) and 200 Butterfly (1:42.96). Josa also won the 200 Backstroke en route to the first ever NCAA DII Swimming and Diving Men’s Championship Title for Queens.
Jeff Dugdale, Queens University of Charlotte Head Coach, was honored as both the Men’s and Women’s CSCAA DII Coach of the Year after leading both the men and women of Queens to team titles in just their fifth year of competition. In that five-year span Dugdale has mentored nearly 30 All-Americans, one Elite-89 Award Winner and his athletes currently hold 12 NCAA DII Records.
Courtesy CSCAA.