HAMILTON, N.Y. (4/17/2010) – Caren Guyett (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.), Erin McGraw (Penfield, N.Y.), and Tucker Gniewek (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) headlined the award winners as the Colgate men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams concluded the season with their annual awards banquet, Saturday afternoon.
Guyett and McGraw were chosen women’s swimming co-team MVP recipients while Gniewek garnered the men’s team MVP honor for the second consecutive season.
Guyett and McGraw, both first team all-Patriot League honorees, combined to win a league title and placed second in five individual races at the 2010 league championships at Navy. McGraw claimed the 200 fly title in school record setting time (1:59.82) and added a pair of runner-up finishes in the 200 IM and 100 fly. Guyett placed second in the 500 free, 400 IM and 200 fly. The junior’s performance of 4:50.64 set a Colgate school record as well.
Gniewek qualified for the “A” final in three events and finished with a fourth and two sixth-place efforts. His effort of 50.98 in the back bested his former school mark of 51.16 set at last year’s league championships.
Casey Powers (Chappaqua, N.Y.) and Kim Siembieda (Narbeth, Pa.) were named the winners of the men’s and women’s Ironmen Awards. The recognition goes to the swimmer or diver, who not only has been exemplary in his/her attendance, commitment, and work ethic, but has also demonstrated the highest degree of physical, psychological and emotional durability in the training. Powers posted 10th-place efforts in the 400 IM and 1650 free at the Patriot League Championships, while Siembieda captured a pair of 10th-place performances in the 100 and 200 back.
Erika Mortenson (Chesterfield, Mo.) and Tyler Makepeace (Wallingford, Conn.) were honored with the Excelsior Award. The recipient of this award, which is annually selected by the coaches, demonstrates his/her dedication and outstanding work ethic and has shown the most improvement in their respective performances this year. Mortenson, who completed her sophomore season, posted three top 12 efforts at the league championships – eighth in the 1650, 11th in the 500 free, and 12th in the 200 free, while Makepeace finished 13th in both the one and three-meter diving competitions in his first league championship meet.
Doug Parks (New Canaan, Conn.) is the 2010 honoree of the Aaron Weddle Award, which goes to the swimmer or diver that demonstrates the true spirit of the program. It is not only given for hard work and improvement, but for the willingness to understand, to learn, to enter into a partnership with the coaches and teammates in an effort to recognize one’s full potential. This recipient places individual goals subordinate to the team’s need and goals. A sophomore, Parks consistently finished second among Raiders in the men’s 200 fly and tallied five personal bests on the season. The women’s equivalent, the Maroon & White Award, was handed to Kate Murphy (Williamsburg, Va.). The senior returned from double shoulder surgery to put up a solid senior campaign. Murphy garnered second team all-league accolades with a fourth in the 100 fly and a 13th in the 200 free at the league championships.
Sarah Sciarrino (Buffalo, N.Y.) was honored with the Donna Carter Award, which goes to the female swimmer or diver for outstanding athletic and academic performance. The senior tallied three top 15 performances at the league championships – 11th in the 200 free, 12th in the 50 free and 14th in the 100 free. Academically, Sciarrino, a physics major, carries a 3.97 grade point average.
Anne Siembieda was the second recipient of the Ted Gregory Award, which is presented to the person who exemplifies Ted’s attitude with a long-standing commitment to the swimming and diving programs. The winner stays in constant contact with the coaching staff with his/her perpetual, “what can I do to help” attitude.