Courtesy: Coastal Collegiate Sports Association
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TheCCSA.com) – Florida Gulf Coast junior Petra Halmai (Dombovar, Hungary) has been named the CCSA Women’s Swimmer of the Year, while freshman teammate Reese Wakefield (Ontario, Canada) is the CCSA Women’s Diver of the Year for the 2019-20 season. In addition, Campbell senior Maddie Baiotto (Hubert, N.C.) is this year’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year honoree, the CCSA announced Friday.
Halmai was a two-time winner at the 2020 CCSA Championships in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.01) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:07.38). Her 100 breast time was a new CCSA conference and championship meet record while attaining the 40th fastest time in country this season. Her 200 breast time was also a new CCSA conference record (four seconds faster than original record) and championship meet record while setting the tenth fastest time in the country in the event this season. Halmai was also the fourth CCSA swimmer, third FGCU swimmer to win Swimmer of the Week four times in a season.
Wakefield captured 3-meter dive event and finished second in the 1-meter dive event at the 2020 CCSA Championships. She made it two straight FGCU divers to win the 3-meter dive event at the championships while being a NCAA Zone qualifier in both 1-meter and 3-meter dive events. During the season, Wakefield achieved seven CCSA Diver of the Week honors (setting a new conference record) while winning five 3-meter diving events and four 1-meter diving events during the regular season.
Baiotto is pursuing a Biology pre-physical therapy major Campbell and her cumulative GPA has sit at 4.00 all four years she has been in Buies Creek. She also earned 2019 Campbell University President Heritage Award (student who exemplifies leadership attributes and shares sincere passion for the University) and is an active member of Campbell’s SAAC. In addition, Baiotto was also a member of the all-conference 100 and 200 Butterfly individual and 400 Freestyle relay team at the 2020 CCSA Championship.
Also nominated for Swimmer of the Year: Maddie Baiotto (Campbell), Jessi Snover (Gardner-Webb), Melissa Cox (Georgia Southern), Payton Keiner (Liberty), and Anne Fletcher (North Florida)
Also nominated for Diver of the Year: Katie Knight (Georgia Southern) and Lauren Chennault (Liberty).
Also nominated for Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Wiktoria Czarnecka (Florida Gulf Coast), Jennifer Jackson (Gardner-Webb), Ashley Kubel (Georgia Southern), Christian Nickolas (Howard), Mikayla Herich (Liberty), and Adee Weller (UNC Asheville)