Berryman, Sanchez Earn Top Men's Swimming/Diving Awards
Tim McDonnell
RICHMOND, Va. (April 6, 2016) – Drexel senior
Joel Berryman was picked as the 2016 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Men's Swimmer of the Year and Drexel senior
David Sanchez was honored for the third time in his career as the CAA Men's Diver of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches.
Joining Berryman and Sanchez as award winners in men's swimming and diving were Towson freshman
Jack Saunderson as Rookie Swimmer of the Year and Drexel freshman
Michael Binkauskas, who was tabbed Rookie Diver of the Year. For the third straight season, William & Mary's
Matt Crispino was voted CAA Men's Swimming Coach of the Year and Delaware’s
Brian Coonce earned the men’s diving Coach of the Year award.
Berryman capped his senior season by being named Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet at the 2016 CAA Championships after guiding Drexel to a best-ever second-place finish. The New Zealand native tied for the lead with 60 individual points at the championship by winning three individual titles – the 50 and 100-yard freestyle events as well as the 100-yard backstroke. Berryman won the 100-free in championship record-setting time (43.56), and then successfully defended his title from a year ago in the 50-free (20.02). On Day 3 of the CAA Championships, the senior won the 100-back in 47.16. Berryman is Drexel’s first-ever CAA Men’s Swimmer of the Year award winner.
Sanchez made CAA history by becoming just the second student-athlete to win Men’s Diver of the Year honors three times in his career. The senior also earned Most Outstanding Diver of the Meet honors at the CAA Championship for the third time. He won the men’s 1-meter board for the first time in his career with a season-best score of 333.25 and then earned a second-place finish on the men’s 3-meter board (355.50), having previously won the individual title for that event in 2013 and 2015. In all, Sanchez completed his career with three CAA Championship gold medals and four major diving awards – three Men’s Diver of the Year honors and one Rookie Diver of the Year trophy.
Saunderson is Towson’s first-ever Men’s Rookie Swimmer of the Year award winner and just the second Tiger male to earn a major CAA swimming honor. The freshman tied for the lead with most points (36) by any rookie on the men’s side at the 2016 CAA Championship. He won his first conference title in the 200-yard fly and did so in impressive fashion, setting a new championship mark in 1:45.02. Saunderson also placed third in the 100-yard fly (48.01) and was the only freshman to reach the finals for that event.
Binkauskas was the only freshman to advance to the finals on both boards at the CAA Championships, placing sixth on the 1-meter (212.40) and eighth on the 3-meter (227.10). The Kentucky native is Drexel’s fourth CAA Men’s Rookie Diver of the Year honoree and the program’s first since Sanchez accomplished the feat in 2013.
Once again, Crispino was picked by the league’s head coaches as the Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year. His third consecutive coaching award comes on the heels of leading the Green and Gold to their second straight conference championship. William & Mary set a new CAA title meet record with 969.50 points, had six men place in the top 10 for individual points and won four of the meet’s five team relays.
Coonce, a 2013 Delaware graduate, is the Blue Hens’ first-ever Diving Coach of the Year award winner. UD’s first-year coach had immediate impact, helping junior Luke Winkler win the program’s first CAA diving title on the 3-meter board (356.30). Winkler also earned bronze on the 1-meter, while senior Colin Hall placed fourth on both diving boards.
In addition to the 2016 major award winners in men'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: Joel Berryman, Drexel; Evan Baker, William & Mary, Joseph Eiden William & Mary
100-Freestyle: Joel Berryman, Drexel; Billy Russell, William & Mary; Nicholas Badsky, Delaware
200-Freestyle: Joseph Eiden, William & Mary; Billy Russell, William & Mary; Cory Camp, Delaware
500-Freestyle: Eric Grimes, William & Mary; Cory Camp, Delaware; Conrad Zamparello, William & Mary
1650-Freestyle: Conrad Zamparello, William & Mary; Alex Tooley, Delaware; Cory Camp, Delaware
100-Butterfly: Evan Baker, William & Mary; Kyle Lukens, Drexel; Jack Saunderson, Towson
200-Butterfly: Jack Saunderson, Towson; Tommy Kealy, William & Mary; Kyle Lukens, Drexel
100-Breaststroke: Josh Zimmt, William & Mary; Will Ryan, UNCW; Joel Todd, Towson
200-Breaststroke: Jeremiah O’Donnell, William & Mary; Will Ryan, UNCW; Joseph Brown, Drexel
100-Backstroke: Joel Berryman, Drexel; Will Manion, William & Mary; Dominic Breschi, Towson
200-Backstroke: Will Manion, William & Mary; Dominic Breschi, Towson; Alex Henderson, William & Mary
200-Individual Medley: Jeremiah O’Donnell, William & Mary; Will Manion, William & Mary, Alex Montes de Oca, William & Mary
400-Individual Medley: Jeremiah O’Donnell, William & Mary; Sean Higgins, William & Mary, Alex Tooley, Delaware
200-Freestyle Relay:
William & Mary (Evan Baker, Joseph Eiden, Kyle Neri, Justin Bardin)
Drexel (Joel Berryman, Liam Kelly, Sean Swartz, Kyle Lukens)
Delaware (Alexander Hillsley, Tomas Elder, Andrew Woerth, Nicholas Badsky)
400-Freestyle Relay:
William & Mary (Joseph Eiden, Kyle Neri, Will Manion, Billy Russell)
Delaware (Alexander Hillsley, Tomas Elder, Andrew Woerth, Nicholas Badsky)
Drexel (Joel Berryman, Luke Hanner, Sean Swartz, Kyle Lukens)
800-Freestyle Relay:
William & Mary (Will Manion, Jeremiah O’Donnell, Alex Henderson, Billy Russell)
Drexel (Joel Berryman, Ivo Pejovic, Luke Hanner, Kyle Lukens)
Delaware (Cory Camp, Alex Tooley, Alexander Hillsley, Patrick Savidge)
200-Medley Relay:
Drexel (Joel Berryman, Ralph Cannarozzi, Kyle Lukens, Liam Kelly)
Towson (Dominic Breschi, Joel Todd, Jack Saunderson, Matt Hans)
UNCW (Tad Spence, Will Ryan, Zack Sowers, Michael Thomas)
400-Medley Relay:
William & Mary (Will Manion, Jeremiah O’Donnell, Evan Baker, Billy Russell)
Towson (Dominic Breschi, Joel Todd, Jack Saunderson, Matt Hans)
UNCW (Tad Spence, Will Ryan, Zack Sowers, William Swiss)
One-Meter Dive: David Sanchez, Drexel; Allen Crosby, UNCW; Luke Winkler, Delaware
Three-Meter Dive: Luke Winkler, Delaware; David Sanchez, Drexel; Allen Crosby, UNCW
CAA Men's Swimming and Diving All-Academic Team
| Matthew Klotz, Drexel |
Sr. |
Schnecksville, Pa. |
| Alex Sabau, UNCW |
Jr. |
Bala Mare, Romania |
| Patrick Savidge, Delaware |
So. |
South Windsor, Conn. |
| Joel Todd, Towson |
Sr. |
Richmond, Va. |
| Conrad Zamparello, William & Mary |
So. |
Midlothian, Va. |