CAA Rookie Swimmers and Diver Of The Month - November/December
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (December 12, 2023) – The CAA has announced its top freshmen performers for the months of November and December in swimming and diving. Towson freshman Benjamin Eischeid and Drexel freshman Dimi Gkelis shared Men’s Rookie Swimmer of the Month honors, and William & Mary freshman Flynn Truskett received Women’s Rookie Swimmer of the Month accolades. Towson freshman Grady Gardner was selected as the Men’s Rookie Diver of the Month.
CAA Men’s Co-Rookie Swimmer of the Month
Benjamin Eischeid, Fr., Towson (Cary, N.C.)
Eischeid recorded season-best times in four events at the Patriot Invitational, each which stands among the top six in the conference. He posted a time of 20.31 in the 50 free, which ranks 3
rd in the CAA, and a time of 44.86 in the 100 free, which is 6
th-best. He also posted a time of 1:39.64 in the 200 free, which is 6
th-best, and added an extracted split of 21.98 in the 50 fly.
CAA Men’s Co-Rookie Swimmer of the Month
Dimi Gkelis, Fr., Drexel (Alimos, Greece)
Gkelis turned in several strong performances in the backstroke at the WVU Invitational. The freshman posted a time of 48.21 in the 100 back, which is the fastest in the CAA this season. He also had a time of 22.78 in the 50 back, which ranks 6
th in the conference, and a time of 1:49.63 in the 200 back, which is 13
th-best in the league.
CAA Women’s Rookie Swimmer of the Month
Flynn Truskett, Fr., William & Mary (Glen Mills, Pa.)
Truskett reached the finals in three individual events at the WVU Invitational. She placed fifth in the 50 free with a time of 23.20, which is the 5
th-fastest in the CAA this season and finished 12
th in the 100 free with a time of 51.21, which ranks 11
th in the conference. Truskett was also a member of the Tribe’s winning 400 medley relay team that posted a time of 3:39.65, which is the fastest in the CAA this season and 3
rd-fastest in W&M history. She added a pair of podium finishes in a dual meet with Loyola (Md.).
CAA Men’s Rookie Diver of the Month
Grady Gardner, Fr., Towson (Ardmore, Pa.)
Gardner posted a score of 214.65 on the 3-meter board at the Patriot Invitational. The performance was just shy of his season-best mark of 215.03 against La Salle in October.
CAA Men’s Rookie Swimmers of the Month
October – William Carrico, UNCW
November – Benjamin Eischeid, Towson and Dimi Gkelis, Drexel
CAA Women’s Rookie Swimmers of the Month
October – Addie Scott, Towson
November – Flynn Truskett, William & Mary
CAA Men’s Rookie Divers of the Month
October – Etan Ferguson, UNCW
November – Grady Gardner, Towson