The Southeastern Conference announced its annual men’s and women’s swimming & diving awards to cap the 2015-16 season.
Caeleb Dressel of Florida was named the Male Swimmer of the Year. Dressel set American, NCAA and world records in the 50 free (18.20) along with American, NCAA and U.S. Open records in the 100 free (40.46) at the 2016 NCAA Championships last month, topping his own records that he set at the 2016 SEC Championships in February to help the Gators win their fourth consecutive and 37th overall conference title.
Brittany MacLean of Georgia was named the Female Swimmer of the Year. MacLean helped the Lady Bulldogs win the 2016 NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships as she set the pool record in the 200 free with a winning time of 1:42.42. She was also part of the winning 800 free relay and second in the 500 free, the 1650 free and as part of the 400 free relay team. At the SEC Championships, MacLean set the SEC meet record in the 500 free and 1650 free, plus the pool record in the 200 free.
Mauricio Robles of Tennessee was tabbed the Male Diver of the Year. He set the SEC meet record in the 1-meter event with a final score of 459.75. Robles also took first place in the platform and third in the 3-meter (third) at the SEC Championships. At the NCAA Championships, he took fourth in the 1-meter, 11th in the 3-meter and eighth in the platform.
Kahlia Warner of Florida was chosen as the Female Diver of the Year. She won both the 1-meter (346.10) and 3-meter (383.75) at the SEC Championships this season. Warner earned a third-place finish in the 3-meter and a sixth-place finish in the 1-meter at NCAAs.
Laurent Bams of Alabama was selected as the Male Freshman Swimmer of the Year. He was a part of the foursome that finished third in the 200 free relay and sixth in the 400 free relay as the Crimson Tide finished in sixth at the 2016 NCAA Championships, Alabama’s best finish since taking fifth place in 1983.
Sydney Pickrem of Texas A&M was tabbed the Female Freshman Swimmer of the Year. She set the pool record in the 400 IM at the SEC Championships with a time of 4:07.36. Pickrem earned second place in the 200-yard breaststroke and fifth in the 200 IM to help lead the Aggies to their first SEC title in women’s swimming & diving.
Sam Thornton of Texas A&M and Rachel Rubadue of Tennessee were selected as the Freshman Divers of the Year. Thornton won the 3-meter and finished in third in the 1-meter at the SEC Championships. Rubadue took the top spot in the platform at the SEC Championships while finishing third in the 3-meter and seventh in the 1-meter.
Connor Oslin of Alabama and Ty Stewart of Georgia share the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. Oslin, the two-time SEC Champion in the 100 backstroke, carries a 3.931 GPA while majoring in biology on the pre-med tract. Stewart, a two-time Elite 89 winner at the NCAAs, owns a 3.99 GPA in English and cognitive science.
For the second consecutive year, Danielle Galyer of Kentucky was chosen as the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Galyer became the first swimmer in the history of the UK program to win a national championship title as she earned the top spot in the 200 back. The junior maintains a 4.00 GPA in psychology.
Gregg Troy of Florida was voted the Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year. Troy led the Gators to the program’s fourth consecutive and 37th overall SEC Championship title in February, as well as a third-place finish at this year’s NCAA Championships.
Jack Bauerle of Georgia was chosen the Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year. The Lady Bulldogs claimed the program's seventh national title last month in Atlanta. Bauerle was also chosen as the National Women's Coach of the Year for the seventh time.
Dave Parrington of Tennessee was named the Men’s Diving Coach of the Year. Parrington, who has been named the SEC Men’s Diving Coach of the Year nine times in his career, guided Robles to win both the 1-meter and platform diving events at the 2016 SEC Championships.
Dale Schultz of Florida was selected the Women’s Diving Coach of the Year. Schultz earned this honor after Warner won the 1-meter and 3-meter events at this year’s SEC Championships.
Male Swimmer of the Year: Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Male Freshman of the Year: Laurent Bams, Alabama
Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year: Gregg Troy, Florida
Male Diver of the Year: Mauricio Robles, Tennessee
Male Freshman Diver of the Year: Sam Thornton, Texas A&M
Men’s Diving Coach of the Year: Dave Parrington, Tennessee
Co-Male Scholar-Athletes of the Year: Connor Oslin, Alabama and Ty Stewart, Georgia
Female Swimmer of the Year: Brittany MacLean, Georgia
Female Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Sydney Pickrem, Texas A&M
Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year: Jack Bauerle, Georgia
Female Diver of the Year: Kahlia Warner, Florida
Female Freshman Diver of the Year: Rachel Rubadue, Tennessee
Women’s Diving Coach of the Year: Dale Schultz, Florida
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Danielle Galyer, Kentucky
