UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State swimming and diving team hosted a virtual awards banquet Thursday night, honoring the accomplishments of the team from the 2019-20 season.
The major awards that were presented this year were the L.D. MacNeill and Elizabeth McCoy Most Outstanding, Ellen Perry and Robert Krimmel Academic Achievement Award, the Nittany Lion Award, the 1855 Award, Iron Lion Award, the Robert E. Galbraith Award, the Jerome Weinstein Award, and the Ernest B. Mccoy Award.
The team also honored its seven All-Americans.
Maddie Hart and Michael Daly were named the L.D. MacNeill and Elizabeth McCoy Most Outstanding award winners. The award is voted on by members of the swimming and diving team and given to those who contribute the most to the team's success by consistently having outstanding performances throughout the year.
Both recipients qualified for the NCAA Championships in their respective events and earned CSCAA All-America honors. Although there were no championships held this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Daly would have competed in both the 200 back and 400 IM. Earlier this season, he broke the school record in the 200 free for his lead-off split time of 1:34.73 in the 800 free relay at the Big Ten Championships. He also earned three podium finishes after his 200 back time of 1:40.63 led him to a silver medal, his swim in the 400 IM (3:43.00) earned him fourth-place, and a career-best time of 4:17.72 in the 500 free led him to fifth-place finish and made him second-fastest all-time at Penn State in the event.
Hart finished off her career with Penn State at the Big Ten Championships with a school-record and fourth-place finish in the 200 back (1:53.37), along with two more podium finishes in the 100 back (6th, 52.78) and 100 fly (3rd, 51.80). She also achieved personal bests in the 100 back (52.71), 200 back, and 100 fly (51.64), landing her the fourth-, first- and second-fastest spots respectively on Penn State's all-time top times list in addition to her fourth-fastest time in the 200 fly (1:56.26) that she earned at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
Hart was also awarded the 1855 Award that is presented to the student-athletes whose improvement, transformation and personal growth mirrors that of Penn State since its founding. Along with her, senior Liam Veregin earned the award for his dedication to the team during his time as a Nittany Lion. Veregin was a member of both the 200 and 400 medley relay teams that had top-eight finishes at Big Tens. His swim in the 200 medley helped his relay earn fifth and become third-fastest in school history (1:25.35). He also had a 14th-place finish overall in the 100 back.
Hart also earned the Ernest B. McCoy Award, alongside Matt DiNunzio. The award is presented annually to one senior female and one senior male student-athlete who have combined successful athletic participation with academic excellence. The award is named for Ernest B. McCoy, the longtime dean of Penn State's College of Physical Education, who also served as the University's Athletic Director.
The Nittany Lion Award was presented to William Lulek and Maddie Cooke for their perseverance and effort as the most improved swimmer or diver during the year. Lulek ended his season at Big Tens with three career-best times in the 200 IM (1:47.28), 200 breast (1:59.44), and 400 IM (3:46.73) for an 11th place finish in the event. Maddie Cooke drastically improved her performance this season with an NCAA B-Cut time of 22.49 in the 50 free, which earned her an eighth-place finish in addition to a 14th place finish in the 100 breast (1:00.83) at Big Ten Championships.
The Iron Lion Award was added this year to highlight the swimmers and divers whose dedication sets them apart. They are the team members that have demonstrated incredible drive, discipline and a relentless work ethic in their pursuit of strength, which has enabled them to maximize their physical and mental potential as competitors. The first recipients of this award were Christina Crowell and Devon Chenot.
Crowell had a record-breaking senior season for Penn State diving. She broke the Penn State platform dive record in January at the Buffalo Invitational with a score of 232.23, in addition to scoring personal bests in the 1-meter (297.90) and 3-meter (325.25) also in January of her senior year. Her scores in the 1-meter and 3-meter earned her a trip to NCAA Zones for the second year in a row. At Zones, Crowell placed 21st in the platform and 19th in the 1-meter (249.80).
Crowell was also awarded the Robert E. Galbraith Award for her outstanding contributions through performance, loyalty, spirit and leadership as a Penn State diver throughout the season.
The Jerome Weinstein Award is presented to the team members who are not only the hardest workers, but also those that are sure to give 100 percent to their teammates emotionally and physically through the good and tough times. The 2019-20 season recipients were Stephanie Szekely, Elizabeth Gaspari, and Chenot.
The Ellen Perry Robert Krimmel Academic Achievement Awards are presented each year to the student-athlete on each the women's and men's team that has attained the highest level of academic excellence throughout the season. This year's recipients were Hayden Harlow, Marget Shelly and Siena Salvaggio.
Check GoPSUSports.com for coverage of the Penn State swimming and diving teams during the season. Follow the team on Twitter at @PennStateSWIM, on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstateswimminganddiving, and Instagram on @pennstateswimdive.
