Bernhardt, Lehman Headline Women's Swimming/Diving Awards
Rachel Bernhardt is Drexel's first-ever CAA Women's Swimmer of the Year.

Bernhardt, Lehman Headline Women's Swimming/Diving Awards

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Tim McDonnell

RICHMOND, Va. (April 6, 2016) – Drexel junior Rachel Bernhardt was selected as the 2016 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Women's Swimmer of the Year and James Madison junior Olivia Lehman was picked as the CAA Women's Diver of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches, the conference announced on Wednesday.
 
Joining Bernhardt and Lehman as major award winners were William & Mary freshman Morgan Smith, who was chosen as the CAA Rookie Swimmer of the Year, and Towson freshman Emily Wilson, who was picked as the league's Rookie Diver of the Year. Additionally, William & Mary’s Matt Crispino was honored as the Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the first time in his career and first-year Delaware coach Brian Coonce was named Women’s Diving Coach of the Year.
 
Bernhardt made a number of historic achievements during her junior campaign, highlighted by a strong showing at the CAA Championships. She became the first Drexel women’s swimmer to earn an individual title, capturing two titles, in fact, when she won gold in both the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke events. Following the conclusion of the league championships, Bernhardt became the first DU swimmer (men or women) to qualify for the NCAA Championships. She placed 38th in the 100 breast and 47th in the 200 breast. A native of Vineland, N.J., Bernhardt is the only Drexel women’s swimmer in program history to win the CAA Swimmer of the Year award.
 
Lehman enjoyed a breakout junior season and added to the impressive trend of diving award winners at JMU. The Ohio native, who was named Most Outstanding Women’s Diver of the Meet at the CAA Championships, is Madison’s sixth straight Diver of the Year honoree. Lehman earned silver on the 3-meter board at the conference diving championships and gold on the 1-meter, obtaining her first individual CAA title. The junior didn’t finish her season there, though. She was just the second JMU diver to ever qualify for the NCAA Championships after becoming the first Dukes' diver to win gold on the 1-meter board at the Zone Qualifiers. She also finished ninth on the 3-meter board. At the NCAAs, Lehman placed 49th on the 3-meter and 40th on the 1-meter.
 
Smith contributed the most individual points (49) by any freshman at the CAA Championships and played a big role in the Tribe winning the conference title. William & Mary’s third straight Rookie Swimmer of the Year award winner captured the individual title in the 1,650-yard free at the league championships, setting a new program and freshman record (16:36.86). Smith, a native of Verona, N.J., also added to the Green & Gold’s title run by placing fourth in the 500-yard free and fifth in the 400-IM at the championship.
 
In her first CAA Championships appearance, Wilson placed sixth on the 3-meter board (2:38.15) and 14th on the 1-meter board (210.30). The freshman had the highest finish by any rookie on the 3-meter board.  She’s the first Towson woman to win the CAA’s Rookie Diver of the Year honor.

For the first time in his career, Crispino was named Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year. Despite having no female divers, William & Mary managed to win the 2016 women’s title for just the second time in program history and first since 2007. Under Crispino’s guidance, the Tribe had three swimmers finish in the top 10 for individual points at the championship and saw three team relay victories as well.

Coonce’s first season at the helm of Delaware’s diving program will be one to remember after he became the first UD coach to earn the league’s top diving coaching award. A 2013 Delaware graduate, Coonce helped senior women’s diver Kristina Congdon win the women’s 3-meter title and placed second in the 1-meter at the CAA Championships, which was the first women’s diving medal for UD since 2003. He also guided fellow senior Caitlin Stockwell to bronze medal finishes on both boards at the championships.

In addition to the 2016 major award winners in women's swimming and diving, the following individuals and relay teams received All-CAA accolades based on their performances at the CAA Championships. The CAA also announced the All-Academic team for swimming and diving.
 
50-Freestyle: Jaimie Miller, William & Mary; Morgan Whyte, Delaware; Camilla Czulada, James Madison
100-Freestyle: Jaimie Miller, William & Mary; Morgan Whyte, Delaware; Kristen Zielinski, James Madison
200-Freestyle: Quinn MacMillan, James Madison; Kristen Zielinski, James Madison; Dominique Montoya, Delaware
500-Freestyle: Quinn MacMillan, James Madison; Dominique Montoya, Delaware; Hannah Snyder, Towson 
1650-Freestyle: Morgan Smith, William & Mary; Hannah Snyder, Towson; Ashley Illenye, Towson
100-Butterfly: Jessie Ustjanauskas, William & Mary; Sara Touchette-McGowan, Northeastern; Catherine Gargula, UNCW
200-Butterfly: Jessie Ustjanauskas, William & Mary; Delaney Lanker, Northeastern; Abby Mack, William & Mary
100-Breaststroke: Rachel Bernhardt, Drexel; Jenna Van Camp, Towson; Taylor Ellis, Northeastern/Katie Parker, James Madison (tie for 3rd).
200-Breaststroke: Rachel Bernhardt, Drexel; Jenna Van Camp, Towson; Katie Parker, James Madison
100-Backstroke: Sophie Rittenhouse, William & Mary; Catherine Gargula, UNCW; Jacy Icard, Towson
200-Backstroke: Sophie Rittanhouse, William & Mary; Natalie Obando, Towson; MaryElizabeth Warhol, James Madison
200-Individual Medley: Katie Parker, James Madison; Charlotte Holz, Towson; Shannon Harper, James Madison 
400-Individual Medley: Hannah Snyder, Towson; Christine Hammond, Towson; Madeline Maher, Delaware

200-Freestyle Relay:
                                    William & Mary (Annie Miller, Jess Crowley, Noelle Klockner, Jaimie Miller)
                                    James Madison (Kristen Zielinski, Carli Molano, Quinn MacMillan, Camilla Czulada)
                                    Delaware (Dominique Montoya, Alyssa Sanders, Jordan Sawyer, Morgan Whyte)
400-Freestyle Relay: 
                                    James Madison (Kristen Zielinski, Carli Molano, Camilla Czulada, Quinn MacMillan)
                                    Delaware (Dominique Montoya, Alyssa Sanders, Sarah Braatz, Morgan Whyte)
                                    William & Mary (Jessie Ustjanauskas, Georgie Crompton, Annie Miller, Jaimie Miller)
800-Freestyle Relay:
                                    James Madison (Kristen Zielinski, Carli Molano, Cameron Martin, Quinn MacMillan
                                    William & Mary (Selina Fuller, Jaimie Miller, Hannah Vester, Jessie Ustjanauskas
                                    Towson (Hannah Snyder, Melissa Toy, Kara Powell, Charlotte Holz)
 
200-Medley Relay:
                                    William & Mary (Sophie Rittanhouse, Annie Valls, Jessie Ustjanauskas, Annie Miller)
                                    Northeastern (Christine Leong, Taylor Ellis, Sara Touchette-McGowan, Carly Schnabel
                                    Towson (Jacy Icard, Jenna Van Camp, Olivia Evans, Caitlin Manthe)
 
400-Medley Relay:
                                    William & Mary (Sophie Rittanhouse, Annie Valls, Jessie Ustjanauskas, Jaimie Miller)
                                    James Madison (MaryElizabeth Warhol, Katie Parker, Cameron Martin, Camilla Czulada)
                                    Northeastern (Christine Leong, Taylor Ellis, Sara Touchette-McGowan, Carly Schnabel)
 
One-Meter Dive: Olivia Lehman, James Madison; Kristina Congdon, Delaware; Caitlin Stockwell, Delaware
Three-Meter Dive: Kristina Congdon, Delaware; Olivia Lehman, James Madison; Caitlin Stockwell, Delaware
 
CAA Women's Swimming and Diving All-Academic Team
Natalie Ambrosey, Delaware So. Milford, Conn.
Camilla Czulada, James Madison Sr. Sinking Spring, Pa.
Leigh DeForest, UNCW So. Cary, N.C.
Rachael Geiger, Northeastern Jr. Ottawa, Ontario
Emily Lau, Drexel Jr. Saline, Mich.
Emma Merrill, William & Mary So. Fairfax, Va.
Hannah Snyder, Towson Sr. Cary, N.C.