April 26, 2002
ATLANTA – Coming off a successful first season as a combined program, the Georgia Tech men and women’s swimming and diving teams announced their annual awards at the team banquet held April 20 at the President’s Suite of the Student Success Center.
Head coach Seth Baron also announced that the team captains for the 2002-03 season would be Shilo Ayalon and James Salazar for the men’s squad and Ashley Skala and Lisa Hancock for the women. Skala also served as team captain this season.
Headlining the award winners are Ayalon, a junior All-American, and freshman NCAA qualifier Cara DeVinny, the recipients of the Fred Lanuoe Athletic Achievement Award, which is given to the student-athlete who brings the highest recognition to the Institute through outstanding athletic achievement.
Ayalon placed eighth in the 1650-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships, earning All-America honors for the second consecutive year. He also was Atlantic Coast Conference runner-up in the 500 and 1650 free, as well as the 400 IM. Ayalon set four school records this season. DeVinny became the first NCAA qualifier for the Tech women’s program, as she posted an automatic qualifying mark in the 400 IM. She also competed in the 200 IM and 200 fly, setting school records in each, as well as the 200 breast.
The Chapman/Hiles Most Improved Athlete Award is awarded to the student-athlete with the greatest athletic improvements throughout the year of competition. This season’s recipients are Salazar and freshman Lisa Hancock.
Salazar reached the NCAA Championships in the 200 back, while earning All-ACC honors and setting a school record in the same event. Hancock was an important contributor in several events for Tech and clocked a NCAA provisional mark in the 200 fly at the ACC Championships.
Katie Duffy and Matt Figh are the winners of the J. Herb McAuley Freshman Unity Award, presented to the freshman that exemplifies the standards of leadership and team unity through their personal actions in and out of the pool.
Duffy was a key swimmer for Tech, as she posted the team’s second-fastest mark in the 200 back. She also notched solid swims in the 100 back and 100 fly at the conference championships. Figh was a versatile first-year performer for the Jackets, as he competed in the 200 and 500 free, 200 back and 100 fly at the ACC Championships. He reached the finals in the 500 free and 200 back and posted a NCAA “B” cut in the 200 free.
Rounding out the award winners are sophomore Eduardo Oliver and freshman Jennifer Christenson, the recipients of the Tommy Towles Scholar-Athlete Award. This honor is given to the student-athlete who possesses the highest-level of performance, scholarship and leadership.
In addition to being one of Tech’s top distance swimmers, Oliver also maintains a 3.65 cumulative grade point average. Christenson owns a 4.00 GPA, while posting the women’s school record in the 200 free.
The Tech men’s team is coming off its first-ever runner-up finish at the ACC Championships, as well as its best finish at the NCAA Championships (27th). The women’s team returns all 15 competitors from this past season and adds a talented recruiting class, as Tech continues to grow as a combined program.
-GT-
