ELMHURST, Ill. – Denver’s Dylan Bunch and Samantha Corea were named the 2014 Summit League Swimmers of the Year, while IUPUI’s Cody Watts and South Dakota’s Greysen Hertting were named the Divers of the Year, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. All four honorees earn their respective award for the first time of their careers.
Bunch captures the Men’s Swimmer of the Year award in Denver‘s first year in the league. The sophomore finished 12th in the 1,650 free (14:50.96) at the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships to earn honorable mention All-America honors and tally five points as the Pioneers tied for 40th in the team standings. He also competed in the 200 and 500 free at the NCAA Championships, becoming the first swimmer in league history to participate in the trio of events. Bunch captured three individual league titles (200, 500 and 1,650 free), including setting a league record in the 1,650 free (14:59.58) to help the Pioneers win their first Summit League crown. He was also a member of the first-place 800 free relay team at the league championships. Prior to the NCAA Championships, the Boulder City, Nev., native was undefeated in the 500 and 1,000 free events this season.
Corea garners Women’s Swimmer of the Year honors in the Pioneers inaugural season in the league. The Vancouver, British Columbia, native captured seventh place in the 200 back (1:53.68) at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, becoming the highest-placing female swimmer in Summit League and Pioneer history at the NCAA meet. Corea also won the consolation final in the 100 fly and competed in the 100 back at the NCAA Championships. She finished ninth overall in the 100 fly (51.62), earning honorable mention All-America honors and recording the fastest time and highest finish in league history at the NCAA meet. The junior collected 21 points as Denver finished 34th overall in the team standings, marking the most points by a women’s team at the NCAA Championships in league history. Corea led Denver to its first Summit League Championship and was named the 2014 Women’s Swimming Championship MVP, after winning three individual league crowns (100 and 200 back, 100 fly) and four relay titles (200 and 400 free relay, 200 and 400 medley relay). She set league records in all seven events during the championships.
Watts is the first Jaguar since 2008-09 to earn Men’s Diver of the Year honors. The junior was named the Men’s Diving Championship MVP at league championships after winning the three-meter dive with a score of 334.40 and taking second in the one meter with 314.70 points. He qualified for the NCAA Zone C Championships and finished 25th in the one-meter dive and 27th in the three meter.
Hertting becomes the first Coyote in program history to be named Diver of the Year. The Appleton, Wis., native swept the one-meter (293.00) and three-meter (270.85) dives to garner Women’s Diving Championship MVP honors at The Summit League Championships. The 10-time Summit League Diver of the Week qualified for the NCAA Zone D Championships and took 28th in the one-meter dive and 37th in the three meter.
This is an unedited press release courtesy of The Summit League.