Swimming and Diving Hold Virtual Award Banquet

Louisville Swimming & Diving competes against Indiana University at Ralph Wright Natatorium on January 31.

May 30, 2020 | Swimming & Diving

Cardinals bestowed awards in 13 categories

By: Nancy Worley

The 2019-20 University of Louisville swimming and diving team held their annual awards banquet virtually this season and announced the winners of 13 different categories. Each category included a reward awarded to a male and female member of the team.

Rick Hill Award: This is awarded annually to the swimmer or diver chosen by teammates and coaches as the most valuable member of the team. The winner of the women's award for this was senior Casey Fanz. The winner of the men's award was junior Nick Albiero. Albiero is a US National Team Member while winning gold in the 100 backstroke at the ACC Championships. He was named ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year. Fanz scored 53 points at the ACC Championships winning two silver and three bronze medals.

Coaches Award: The winners of the Coaches Award each included a member of the swimming and diving team. The swimmers who won this award for each team were senior Grace Oglesby and Junior Evgenii Somov. Oglesby won the 200m Fly at the ACC Championships in 2020. Somov scored 90 points at ACC Championships. He won gold in the 100 and 200 breast and the 400 medley relay and a silver in the 400 free relay.

For the Cardinal Divers, the winners were senior Molly Fears and junior Daniel Pinto. Fears ranks second all-time on platform and 3-meter and third all-time on 1-meter for UofL and was the 2019 Female Breakthrough Athlete of the Year at the Louie Awards. She was also a member of the 2019-20 All-ACC Academic Team. Daniel Pinto qualified for NCAA Zones each of the three years he has been here and finaled in the 1-meter at ACCs.

Joseph Mittel Award: This award is presented to a graduating senior who has consistently supported the team in the devotion to training and competition. The winners of this award were seniors Sam Steele and Lainey Visscher. Steele won gold at the ACC Championship in the 800 free relay. Visscher won silver in the 200 free relay and 400 free relay and earned second swims in two other events.

Ralph Wright Most Memorable Performance Award: This award is voted on by the team and presented annually to the individual or performance which inspired the team with a memorable moment. This was won by junior Nick Albiero with his 200 Fly at the ACC finals and Junior Arina Openysheva with her performance at the ACC Championships in the 200 Freestyle and her leadoff leg in the 800 Freestyle Relay.

Freshman of the Year: The team votes on the most promising newcomer to the team. The winners of this award are Freshman Abby Hay and Abdelrahman "Haridi" Sameh. Abby Hay was a 2019-20 All-ACC Academic team and finished 5th at the ACC Championships in the 200 IM. She also finished 6th in the 400 IM. Sameh won silver in the 50 free, the 200 free relay, and the 400 free relay. He also finaled in two other events for a total of 65 points for the Cardinals.

Academic Honor Award:

Women:
Sophie Cattermole, Grad.
Molly Fears, Sr.
Morgan Friesen, Jr.
Carley Lowe, Jr.
Sophie Middendorf, So.
Katie Schorr, So.

Men:
Daniel Sos, Jr.
Nick Albiero, Jr.
Sean Riley, Sr.
Keegan Foulke, Sr.
Kyle Worrell, So.
Jack Wever, So.
Nikos Sofianidis, Jr.
Aaron Parrott, So.

Cardinal Spirit Award: This award is given to the individual who demonstrates commitment and team spirit to the University and Athletic Department. The winners of this were Senior Michaela Sliney and Junior Daniel Sos. Sliney was a member of the 2019-20 All-ACC Academic team and qualified for NCAAs as a junior. Sos was a member of the All-ACC Academic Team. He also finished 5th in the 200 IM at the ACC Championships.

Underclassmen Unity Award: This award is given annually to the underclassman who helps unify and bridge the gap between them and upperclassmen, showing leadership skills. The winners of this award are Sophomore Colton Paulson and Freshman Christiana Regenauer. Regenauer was a member of the 2019-20 All-ACC Academic team and finished 2nd in both the 200 Free Relay and 400 Free Relay at the ACC Championships. Paulson won gold in the 200 free and the 800 free relay at ACCs.

Relay Award: Presented to the swimmer or relay team who inspired performances as a member of relay teams.

Women's 400 Freestyle Relay - Arina Openysheva, Lainey Visscher, Christiana Regenauer, and Casey Fanz.

Men's 400 Medley Relay - Mitchell Whyte, Evgenii Somov, Nick Albiero, and Andrej Barna.

Most Improved: Given to the swimmer or diver who has proven exceptional performance improvement over the course of the season. The winners of this award were sophomore Hayden Curley and junior Morgan Friesen. Curley, a distance specialist, finished 8^th in the grueling 1650 at ACCs and was a finalist in the 500 free as well as being a member of the 2019-20 All-ACC Academic Team. Friesen was a member of the 2019-20 All-ACC Academic team and was a NCAA Qualifier for the 100m and 200m Breaststroke.

Christine Simatacolas Cardinal Supporter Award: This award is given to an individual within the swimming and diving community who actively supports the team and is a valued member of the organization. The winner of this award was team manager Spencer Williams.

Igniting Performance: This is awarded to the individual who had an igniting performance setting the tone for the team. This was won by Ashlyn Schoof, Mariia Astashkina, Grace Oglesby, and Casey Fanz in the women's 200 Medley Relay at the ACC Championships and Mitchell Whyte's 50, 100, 200 backstroke swims at the ACCs.

Perseverance Award: This is awarded to the swimmer or diver who shows that with the odds stacked against them, but they kept fighting and never gave up. This was won by sophomore Alena Kraus and senior Andrej Barna. Kraus was a member of the 2019-20 All-ACC Academic team and was set to compete in the NCAA Qualifier for the 200 Fly. Barna was a member of the All-ACC Academic team and finished first in the 800 Free Relay and 400 Medley Relay at the ACC Championships.