Gators Pick Up Three Honors at 2010 Golden Goggle Awards
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 | Men's Swimming & Diving
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - University of Florida head coach Gregg Troy was named USA Swimming's Coach of the Year, while former Gator great Ryan Lochte earned Male Athlete of the Year and Male Race of the Year honors, at the seventh annual USA Swimming Foundation Golden Goggle Awards in New York Monday. USA Swimming, which hosts the awards show, also nominated Florida's Teresa Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa.) and Elizabeth Beisel (North Kingstown, R.I.) for Breakout Performer of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year, respectively.
The event commemorated the achievements of the 2010 U.S. Pan Pacific Championship Team that competed this past summer in Irvine, Calif., at the year's biggest international meet. The Americans captured the Championship Team Trophy with 51 total medals.
Troy, who won his fourth Coach of the Year honor in the last nine months, was honored for serving as the head coach of the U.S. men's team at Pan Pacs, and led the American men to 21 total medals. The Bellefonte, Pa., native also helped the Gators bring home the 2010 women's swimming and diving national championship, its first since 1982. The award is in addition to being named the 2010 American Swimming Coaches Association Coach of the Year, the 2010 NCAA Women's Swimming Coach of the Year and the 2010 SEC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year.
“You can see by the other great coaches up there (nominated), that I'm fortunate to be in this situation,” Troy told the audience in attendance. “I want to thank USA Swimming and the people who put on Golden Goggles and the foundation; it's fantastic. I certainly want to thank my wife Kathleen and my three sons, who have made big commitments that enable me to do what I like to do. I'm fortunate enough to have a great athletics director at Florida (Jeremy Foley) that values premier performance. I was just fortunate enough to work with a Teresa Crippen and a Ryan Lochte.”
Lochte, who is coached by Troy and still trains at UF, brought home a meet-high six gold medals at Pan Pacs, earning the high-point award. The seven-time NCAA champion and 24-time All-American at Florida (2002-06) broke five meet records along with two U.S. Open records at the event. Lochte's second award came as a result of winning the 200-meter individual medley at Pan Pacs. The multiple-time Olympic gold medalist finished in 1:54.43, just shy of his own world record in the event.
“I really want to give a shout-out to my family, my coaching staff back at the University of Florida and Coach Troy,” Lochte told the audience in attendance. “They've always been there supporting me. Everyone basically stuck with me through this whole time and I owe it all to you guys.”
Crippen was nominated after winning a silver medal in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:06.93, just three-tenths of a second shy of gold-medal winner Jessi Schipper of Australia. The junior broke the school record in the event that she had set 13 days prior at U.S. Nationals in Irvine.
Beisel was nominated after winning two gold medals with meet-record times in the 200-meter backstroke and 400 IM. The freshman set the school record in the 400 IM with a time of 4:34.04, while swimming the second-fastest time in Florida history in the 200 back with a mark of 2:07.83.
Video of Coach Troy's Coach of the Year Acceptance Speech
Video of Ryan Lochte's Male Athlete of the Year Acceptance Speech
Video of Ryan Lochte's Male Race of the Year Acceptance Speech
The Gators will be without Crippen and Beisel as they jump back into the pool today at 5 p.m. as the Orange and Blue travel to rival Florida State for the final dual meet of the fall season. Fans are encouraged to follow the swimming and diving program on Twitter or Facebook.
