Courtesy: Bryant Athletics
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women’s and men’s swimming and diving programs celebrated the 2018-19 season with their annual end of the year banquet on Sunday, April 28.
It was a historic season for the two programs as the women’s team captured their second-straight Northeast Conference title and the men posted a second-place finish at the MAAC Championships, it’s highest in program history.
The Bulldogs broke 24 school records over the course of the season and swept the NEC and MAAC Swimmer of the Meet honors.
Bulldog Award
The highest honor in the program, the Bulldog Award is given to a male and female swimmer who has displayed all-around excellence.
Jillian Rice (Trumbull, Conn.) earned the honor on the women’s side. She became just the second swimmer to win NEC Swimmer of the Meet in program history after capturing three individual gold medals and four relay golds. Rice was also named the NEC Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Tavish Boyle (Springfield, N.J.) earned the men’s honor. He capped an incredible career in the best way possible, helping his team to a second-place finish with a pair of individual gold medals. Boyle won both breast events at the MAAC Championships and also helped the 400 medley relay set a school record.
MVP Award
This award is given to the individuals who scored the most points over the course of the season.
Alaina Scifo (Ipswich, Great Britain) scored 404 points for the women, capping her outstanding junior season with seven medals at the NEC Championships. She won two individual gold medals and helped the Black and Gold win three relay golds. Scifo broke Casey Ostrander’s program record in the 200 back in the process.
Micah Ornelas (San Diego, Calif.) made a splash in his only year at Bryant, scoring 397 points. He became the second Bulldog to win MAAC Swimmer of the Meet honors after capturing three gold medals, three NCAA B cuts and three MAAC championship records to close the season. Ornelas set five individual school records over the course of the year (50 free, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM).
Most Improved
This is the individual who has shown great time/performance improvement, as well as personal growth in the sport of swimming and diving and in general.
Caitlin Dye (Natick, Mass.) capped a strong season by winning the B flight in the 100 fly at the NEC Championships. She posted top 10 times in both back events and the 100 fly.
Matthew Zichelli (Glen Ridge, N.J.) became one of the key components in Bryant’s relays, helping the Black and Gold set three school records at the MAAC Championships.
Rookie of the Year
Alyvia Beaudion (Cypress, Texas) made an immediate impact on Bryant’s relay teams at the NEC Championships, helping the Black and Gold to gold medals in the 200 free and 400 free. She also became just the fourth female swimmer in school history to swim the 50 free in 24 seconds or less.
Evan Clark (Doylestown, Pa.) became the first male diver to earn MAAC Rookie Diver of the Meet honors. He won the B final in the 3-meter dive and finished 10th in the 1-meter.
Teammate of the Year
Meghan Veenstra (Tyngsborough, Mass.) and Matthew Mastroianni (Glastonbury, Conn.) took home the honors for Teammate of the Year for their contributions and ability to make everyone around them better.
Kelly Hill ’10 Award
A special award that is not given every year. Given to someone who has contributed immensely to the program. It is not necessarily the high point scorer, but someone who is fully dedicated, never misses a workout and is not always recognized.
Carissa Stemen (Naples, Fla.) and Shane Vyskocil (Parsippany, N.J.) were recognized. Stemen helped the Bulldogs become the best diving program in the conference and will graduate as top five scores in both the 1 and 3 meter dives.
Vyskocil was named the Bryant Athletics Scholar-Athlete of the Year and will receive the Bryant University Political Science Award at graduation after posting a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout his collegiate career.
2019-20 Captains
Scifo, Veenstra, Alyssa DiFiore (Wethersfield, Conn.) and Lindsey Choate (Upper St. Clair, Pa.) were selected as captains for the women’s swimming and diving program.
Mastroianni, Robert Davis (Glastonbury, Conn.), Zach Vogel (South Easton, Mass.) and Matthew Mays (St. Croix, Virgin Islands) were named captains for the men’s swimming and diving program.