After four days of competition, the St. Bonaventure men earned their second consecutive championship title at the Atlantic 10 Men’s Swimming and Diving Championship in Geneva, Ohio. Richmond took home the women’s team title.
The Spiders racked up a total of 645.5 points. Leading the way was senior Mali Kobelja, who was named Most Outstanding Performer. Over the course of the championship, Kobelja recorded first place finishes in the 200-yd individual medley (2:00.46) and the 100-yd breaststroke (1:01.82), a second place finish in the 200-yd breaststroke (2:13.62) and team relay victories in the 200-yd medley relay, the 200-yd freestyle relay, the 400-yd medley relay and 400-yd freestyle relay.
Fordham’s Megan Polaha was named the Most Outstanding Rookie Performer after recording a sixth place finish in the 200-yd IM (2:03.09), a fourth place finish in the 400-yd IM (4:19.72) and setting a new A-10 Conference record in the 200-yd butterfly with a time of 1:58.51. Massachusetts’ Michaela Butler named the meet’s Most Outstanding Diver after placing first in both the women’s 1-meter dive (315.65) and the women’s 3-meter dive (286.95).
Runner-up Fordham finished with 493 points, followed by Massachusetts (467), George Mason (436), Duquesne (371.5), La Salle (318), Rhode Island (287), George Washington (253.5), St. Bonaventure (213) and Saint Louis (152).
Leading the way for St. Bonaventure, who finished with 718 team points, was sophomore Michael Pilyugin. Pilyugin was named the Most Outstanding Performer after winning six gold medals in the meet along with setting individual meet records in the 200-yd freestyle (1:36.35) and the 200-yd backstroke (1:45.14). Pilyugin also finished first in the 100-yd backstroke (48.54) and was a member of three A-10 record setting relay teams (200-yd freestyle, 400-yd freestyle and 800-yd freestyle).
La Salle’s Mattias Glenesk was honored as the Most Outstanding Rookie Performer after finishing fifth overall in the 500-yd freestyle (4:30.31) along with breaking an A-10 record that had stood for 31 years in the 1,650-yd freestyle with a time of 15:20.48. Massachusetts’ Joshua Koppel was named the meet’s Most Outstanding Diver after placing first in both the men’s 1-meter dive (310.70) and the 3-meter dive (303.75).
Also standing out in today’s finals was St. Bonaventure’s Viacheslav Shchukin along with La Salle’s Johan Roth and George Mason’s Danny Camozzo. Shchukin posted an A-10 record time of 43.42 in the 100-yd freestyle while La Salle’s Johan Roth posted an NCAA “B” Cut in the 200-yd breaststroke with a time of 1:59.15 en route to earning gold in the event. Camozzo recorded an A-10 record time of 1:47.36 in the 200-yd butterfly.
Runner-up Massachusetts finished with 624 points followed by George Mason (591), La Salle (403), Saint Louis (385), George Washington (366) and Fordham (284).
2014 A-10 Swimming & Diving Awards
Men:
Most Outstanding Performer: Michael Pilyugin, St. Bonaventure
Most Outstanding Rookie: Mattias Glenesk, La Salle
Most Outstanding Diver: Joshua Koppel, Massachusetts
Coach of the Year: Sean McNamee, St. Bonaventure
Diving Coach of the Year: Mandy Hixon, Massachusetts
Women:
Most Outstanding Performer: Mali Kobelja, Richmond
Most Outstanding Rookie: Megan Poloha, Fordham
Most Outstanding Diver: Michaela Butler, Massachusetts
Coach of the Year: Matt Barany, Richmond
Diving Coach of the Year: Mandy Hixon, Massachusetts
mattias glenesk swims for la salle not st. bonaventure
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