Men's Swimmer Claims Dual SEC Honors
Friday, April 26, 2002 | Men's Swimming & Diving
The Southeastern Conference announced the 2002 swimming and diving awards Friday, and the University of Florida men's team claimed three of the six honors and for the first time in program history won the Male Freshman and Swimmer of the Year awards by one student-athlete.
Freshman Adam Sioui (Ontario, Canada) claimed two of those awards winning the SEC Male Swimmer of the Year and the SEC Male Freshman of the year. Sioui helped the Florida men to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships this year. He earned three-All-America honors at the meet including an NCAA title in the 200-yard freestyle. The Ontario, Canada native, who was the Southeastern Conference champion in the same event traveled straight from the Commonwealth Games Trials to Athens, Ga., for the NCAA Championships.
"I was kind of on a roll right then," said Sioui. "All year the training had been tough, but it's definitely been worth it. It was good to see some top times at the championships."
"It was definitely an outstanding performance by Adam," said head coach Gregg Troy. "Coming off of Commonwealth Games Trials, he was just outstanding. He swam a technically perfect race for a freshman."
Troy picked up the third honor being named the SEC Men's Head Coach of the year adding to his NCAA Men's Coach of the Year nod. Florida's fourth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships is its best finish since the 1991 season, when the Gators placed third overall. UF's 277 total points marked the seventh-best team total in school's 40 years of NCAA men's swimming and diving competition and the best team total since the 1991 season, when current assistant coach and UF Hall of Fame member Anthony Nesty was a member of the squad.
"It's definitely a nice honor, but I share it with my assistant coaches," said Troy. "I think we have the best staff in the country, with Anthony (Nesty), Martyn (Wilby) and Rich (DeSelm). Obviously we're really pleased with our performance, "said Troy. "It was a true team effort, and everyone stepped up. Our seniors did a great job all year long, helping the freshman get ready for this type of competition."
It is the second time Troy has won the SEC honor, with his first coming in 2000. Sioui became the first national champion since 2000 and the first SEC Male Simmer of the Year since Greg Burgess in 1994. It is also the second consecutive year that UF has had the SEC's Male Freshman of the year with Carlos Jayme (Goias, Brazil) scoring the accolade in 2001.
2002 SEC Swimming and Diving Awards
MEN
SEC Male Swimmer of the Year
Adam Sioui, Florida
SEC Male Diver of the Year
Clayton Moss, Kentucky
SEC Male Freshman Swimmer of the Year
Adam Sioui, Florida
SEC Male Freshman Divers of the Year
Stewart Smith, Alabama and Phillip Jones, Tennessee
SEC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year
Greg Troy, Florida
SEC Men's Diving Coach of the Year
Mike Lyden, Kentucky
WOMEN
SEC Female Swimmer of the Year
Maggie Bowen, Auburn
SEC Female Diver of the Year
Barb Gorst, LSU
SEC Female Freshman Swimmer of the Year
Margaret Hoelzer, Auburn
SEC Female Freshman Diver of the Year
Lauren McCalley, Tennessee
SEC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year
David Marsh, Auburn
SEC Women's Diving Coach of the Year
Scott Reich, LSU
