Swimming and Diving Announces Team Awards, 2010-11 Captains

The Dartmouth men's and women's swimming and diving teams honored the accomplishments of this season last Tuesday at its annual postseason awards banquet. The 2009-10 season was highlighted by two newly established women's team records, four men's team records, an Ivy League Champion in Erica Serpico '12, and 34 new program top-10 performances.

Named for the long time diving coach, the Ron Keenhold Diver of the Year award is awarded to the most accomplished divers of the season. This year it was awarded to Erica Serpico '12 and Michael Brown '11. Serpico made first team All-Ivy by winning the one meter board at this year's Ivy League Championships and later finished 12th at NCAA Zones. Brown also competed at Zones and was this season's highest point earner of the men's divers.

Caroliyn Rippe '10 and Spenser Mestel '11 won the prestigious Lutkus and Scholar-Athlete awards for achieving the highest cumulative grade point average among a very academically competitive team.

Caitlin Nicholson '12 saw tremendous improvement in her marquee butterfly events, as well as the 50 freestyle, earning her the women's Paul E. Tsongas Most Improved Award. Michael "Mickey" Ahern won the men's Tsongas award for his dramatic improvement in the backstroke events, including a Dartmouth record in the 100 back.

It was no surprise that newcomers Charlotte Williams '13 and Albert Roth '13 earned the Outstanding Freshmen awards for their consistent, versatile, and highly competitive performances all season and varsity record-breaking races at Ivy Championships in the 400 IM (Williams and Roth), 200 IM and 200 Fly (Roth).

Roth also joined Maddie Steiner '11 both on the Ivy podium and on the record board as Dartmouth's most valuable swimmers of the season. Steiner repeated her record breaking performance from 2009, resetting her own mark in the 200 freestyle and reaching the finals in both the 100 and 200 free at Ivies. The men's most valuable swimmer award, named for Dartmouth's longtime and incredibly successful coach, Karl B. Michael, was awarded to Roth for his unwavering ability to compete among the Ivy League's best all season long, with notable wins against Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia.

Catherine Armstrong '10 has been a strong leader for the Dartmouth women's swimming and diving for all of her four years as a member of the team, particularly as a senior team captain. For her unwavering commitment to her teammates and working toward the betterment of the program, she was awarded this year's Geer award. The honor is given to the women's team member who has contributed the most to the development of the Dartmouth women's swimming and diving program, through not only her performance in the pool, but through her day-to-day dedication to her teammates and the team concept.

John Glover '55 captained the Dartmouth freshman and varsity swim teams, was a three-time All- American and established 35 records during his college career and died in 1956 at the Yale pool while training for an Olympic berth. An award is presented in his honor to the most inspirational member of the Dartmouth men's team each season. Scott Sorensen '10, captain of both men's swimming and men's water polo, earned the Glover trophy this year for his commitment to his teammates and four years of Dartmouth aquatic tradition.

The team captain responsibilities for next season will be shouldered by seniors Virginia Selden, Maddie Steiner, Marco Chu and Billy Haley, who are all very excited to use their leadership to usher in continued and further success to Big Green swimming and diving.

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