Continuing one of the most dominant conference championship runs in collegiate athletics, the #34 FGCU swimming and diving team claimed its eighth CCSA Championship in a span of nine years.
In the four days of competition last weekend at the University of Georgia’s Gabrielson Natatorium, FGCU earned the conference crown in 15 of 20 events and registered 1,574.5 points en route to winning the championship by more than 200 points over runner-up Liberty (1,355). It not only marks FGCU’s eighth conference title in nine years and its third straight, but is also the ninth consecutive year the Eagles and Flames have occupied the top-two spots in the conference meet. Gardner-Webb (851) moved up to take third place, while Georgia Southern (818.5) and Incarnate Word (770.5) rounded out the top-five.
FGCU cleaned house as the CCSA Championship Honors and Awards were announced following the meet. Not only did sophomore Christina Kaas Elmgreen take home the Eagles’ fifth straight Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Meet honor, but Ashley Wright became the first FGCU diver since Maegan Butler in 2013 to be named the Most Outstanding Female Diver of the Meet.
Additionally, head coach Dave Rollins earned the program’s seventh Coach of the Year award in his first season with the Green and Blue, while diving coach David Boyko took home his second Diving Coach of the Year honor and his first since 2013.
“Anytime you can win a championship, it’s a time to celebrate,” said Rollins. “This has been a total team effort from day one, and there wasn’t a person on this team who didn’t give it their all. Congrats to Christina and Ashley on their Outstanding Athlete of the Meet awards. I also want to commend David on his Diving Coach of the Year award and Amanda (Smith), who is the backbone of this program. We are very happy, excited and looking forward to the NCAA Championships in March.”