Swim Team Announces Individual Award Winners
4/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
By: John Sullivan, Rice Athletics (jsully@rice.edu)
HOUSTON – Led by senior Kaitlyn Swinney as the Rice Swimmer of the Year, Owl head swim coach Seth Huston announced the program's individual award winners for 2017-2018 at the team's annual postseason banquet on Monday (April 23).
Swinney was the recipient of the Catherine Hannah Award, which has been presented to the program's top swimmer every year since 1979. In February, Swinney won the Conference USA individual event title in the 400-yard individual medley. In March, the Fort Bend, Texas, native won two more individual event titles at the 2018 CSCAA National Invitational (unofficially nicknamed the "Swimming N.I.T.").
Joining Swinney on the team's 2018 awards list were Rabea Tzenetos as the Most Improved swimmer, Jaecey Parham as the winner of the Kathryn E. Scholl True Blue Spirit Award, Sarah Nowaski as the winner of the Natalie Kirchhoff Inspiring Competitor Award, and freshmen Lindsay Mathys as the Rookie of the Year. Four different Owls who were named the C-USA Swimmer of the Week a combined total of six times were also recognized.
When it comes to achievements in the classroom the Owls are of course second to none. The duo of Alicia Caldwell and Marie-Claire Schillinger were honored for being named to the C-USA All-Academic Swim Team. A total of twenty Rice swimmers were named to the 2018 C-USA Commissioners Academic Honor Roll and six earned the Commissioner's Academic Medal.
The awards didn't stop there, however. The program's seven seniors passed out their version of accolades with the program's annual "Senior Paper Plate Awards." No Owl underclassman was spared from the senior-razz, but a good time was had as the soon-to-be Rice graduates made their good-nature, final parting jabs at their teammates.
Coach Huston, assistant coaches Amanda Caldwell and Jessica Rodriguez, and the swim staff also received recognition from the team members during the festivities. In the spring Caldwell was named a recipient of the CSCAA Jean Freeman Scholarship as one of the outstanding young coaches in collegiate swimming.
Players Mentioned
