Farrand, Deaver and Stevens Staff Take Top Swimming and Diving Honors
The Empire 8 Athletic Conference has announced the Swimmer, Diver Rookie and Coach of the Year awards for the 2017-18 men’s swimming and diving season. The conference coaches vote on the awards.
SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: Seth Farrand, Nazareth College
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Seth Farrand, Nazareth College
Freshman Seth Farrand has been re-writing the Nazareth record book from the first meet of the year and is now making Empire 8 history. For the first time the E8 Swimmer of the Year and the Rookie of the Year are being awrded to the same student-athlete. It is also the first time in Empire 8 history any yearly swimming and diving honor has been bestowed upon a Nazareth athlete.
At the Empire 8 Championship meet, Farrand was part of six school records and was named the Male Swimmer and Rookie of the Meet. He shattered the 50-yard freestyle school record with a time of 20.40, set a new standard in the 100 freestyle (:45.75) and won the 100 backstroke in :51.10. He also swam on four of Nazareth's five record-breaking relays: the 200 free relay (1:24.34), the 400 free relay (3:07.78), the 200 medley relay (1:33.16) and the 400 medley relay (3:26.15).
His time of 20.40 in the 50-freestyle was fast enough for him to become the Golden Flyers' first-ever male swimming qualifier for the NCAA Championships.
At the national meet, Farrand broke his own school record in the 100-freestyle with a time of 45.28 to place 22nd and also placed 22nd in the 50-free (20.64) and 30th in the 100-back (51.27).
DIVER OF THE YEAR: Chris Deaver, Alfred University
Chris Deaver is the Diver of the Year for the second time in his career, previously winning the honor in 2015-16. It also marks the fourth time since the award was started in 2007-08 that a student-athlete has been named the top conference diver twice.
Deaver was named the Empire 8 Diver of the Meet at the conference championships held at Webster Schroeder High School pool in February after taking first in both 1-meter and 3-meter dive. He won the 3-meter diving event with a score of 484.40, just 10.35 away from tying his personal best and 16.75 away from tying the current school record. And he won a second Empire 8 Championship with a 1-meter finish of 500.30 points for a personal best score and a new school record. His previous best was a 470.50.
Deaver qualified for the NCAA Regional meet where he placed fifth on the 3-meter board and seventh on the 1-meter to qualify for the NCAA Championship meet for the first time.
COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR: Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens head coach Lindsay Mikkelson and her staff guided the Ducks to the E8 Championship for the sixth straight year.
At the Empire 8 Championship, the Duck men earned 13 all-conference honors, including five first team individual honorees, four second team individual honorees, and placed first in four relays.