The Denison University men and women successfully won their sixth-straight North Coast Athletic Conference Swimming & Diving Championships at the 30th annual event, hosted at DU's own Trumbull Aquatics Center, February 12-15.
The Big Red women, who totaled 1,839 points to capture the title, won seven total events, set one meet record and totaled 21 additional All-NCAC finishes to edge Kenyon for the sixth year in a row. The Ladies totaled 1,805 points after touching first in 11 races and nine additional All-NCAC finishes. DePauw finished in third in the women's standings with 1,087 points, followed by Wooster (894), Wittenberg (882), Allegheny (781), Oberlin (772), Ohio Wesleyan (510) and Hiram (296).
The Denison men won nine events en route to earning 1,898.5 points to edge the Kenyon Lords for the sixth-straight year. In addition to the event wins, the Big Red earned 19 additional All-NCAC finishes and set two conference records. Kenyon earned second place with 1,851 points after winning 10 races, setting four conference records and posting 16 additional All-NCAC finishes. DePauw finished third with 1,245.5 points, followed by Wabash (958), Oberlin (683), Ohio Wesleyan (625.5), Wittenberg (596), Wooster (541.5), Allegheny (475) and Hiram (198).
Denison senior Natalie Lugg (Woodbury, MN/Woodbury) was voted the 2014 NCAC Women's Swimmer of the Year after winning the 200 IM with an NCAC record time of 2:03.06 and also touching first in the 200 breast with an NCAA 'B' cut time of 2:17.40. She also finished second in the 100 breast (1:03.38) and swam the breaststroke legs on the second-place 200 medley (1:43.26) and 400 medley (3:47.42) relay teams.
Kenyon sophomore Maria Zarka (Kanoehe, HI/Kalaheo) was named the NCAC Female Diver of the Year after finishing first in both the one-meter (450.00) and three-meter (456.65) competitions with NCAA regional qualifying scores.
Kenyon junior Harrison Curley (Orlando, FL/Winter Park) was tabbed the 2014 NCAC Men's Swimmer of the Year after touching first in the 200 back with an NCAC record time of 1:46.38 and also finishing first in the 100 back with an NCAA 'B' cut time of 49.14. He also swam the opening backstroke leg on the Lords' winning 400 medley relay squad that reached the wall first in an NCAC record time of 3:16.43. Curley, a transfer from the University of Florida, also posted an All-NCAC finish in the 500 free by finishing third overall with a time of 4:31.43.
In the diving well, Denison junior Connor Dignan (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista) was named the NCAC Men's Diver of the Year after winning both the one- and three-meter events. He established the NCAC and NCAA Div. III record on the three-meter board with a score of 645.70 and also topped the national record on the one-meter board with a score of 578.70. Both of Dignan's performances were regional qualifying efforts.
In addition, Kenyon freshman Alex Seaver (Eugene, OR/Marist) and DePauw freshman Angela Newlon (O'Fallon, IL/O'Fallon Twp.) were named the men's and women's Newcomers of the Year, respectively. Seaver swept the men's distance freestyle events with a time of 4:28.91 in the 500 and a time of 15:36.03 in the 1,650. Newlon set the NCAC record in the 500 freestyle with a winning time of 4:50.91 and also finished third in the 400 IM (4:28.27).
Denison's Gregg Parini was recognized as the NCAC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year for seventh time in his career, while Kenyon's Jess Book was named the NCAC Women's Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.
Denison's Russ Bertram took home the NCAC Men's Diving Coach of the Year honor for the first time in his career, while Allegheny's Fred Evanoff won the Women's Diving Coach of the Year for the second time in his career after also earning the distinction in 2012.
