CLEVELAND, OH -- Kenyon’s Ron Kontura and Denison's Russ Bertram have been named Men's and Women's Diving Coaches of the Year, while Kenyon’s Jess Book and Allegheny’s Max Niggel have been named Men's and Women's Swimming Coaches of the Year. Both sets of awards were announced today after voting by the conference's head coaches.
Kontura, in his third year with the Lords, earns his second Coach of the Year award after freshman Drew Albrecht (Aurora, OH/Aurora) claimed NCAC Men's Diver of the Year honors. Albrecht won both the one-meter and three-meter boards at the 2020 conference championships, posting regional qualifying scores in both events, totaling 458.90 points in the one-meter and 500.05 in the three-meter competition.
Bertam claims his fourth-consecutive Women's Coach of the Year award in 2020 as Denison earned a one-two-three finish in both the one-meter and three-meter events at the NCAC Championship. Senior Naomi Clayton (Lexington, KY/Sayre) was named NCAC Women's Diver of the Year after winning the one-meter event with a regional-qualifying score of 426.05 points. She also posted a second-place finish in the three-meter competition with another regional-qualifying score (446 points). Freshman Ally Peterson (Napa, CA/Vintage) captured first in the three-meter board with a regional qualifying score of 456.50 points and took third in the one-meter event (378.95). Sophomore Mattie Stauss (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton) posted two regional qualifying scores in both events, while placing second in the one-meter event (395.80) and third in the three-meter competition (422.25). Bertram has also earned Men's Diving Coach of the Year honors four times (2014-17) in his seven-year career at Denison.
After leading the Lords to their first NCAC Championship title since 2008, Book earned his first Men's Coach of the Year nod. Kenyon accumulated 1,913 points to end Denison's 11-year title run. The Lords logged 30 All-NCAC finishes in the 21 events contested and collected 11 NCAC titles over the four-day meet. Kenyon sophomore Luis Weekes (St. Thomas, Barbados/Baylor School) was named the NCAC Men's Swimmer of the Year after winning three individual event titles and swimming on one winning relay, while Albrecht claimed the NCAC Men's Diver of the Year award after sweeping both boards at the conference meet. It was the first time in program history that the Lords won both awards in the same season. Book has also earned Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year honors three times (2014, ‘16, ‘19) in his eight-year career at Kenyon.
Niggel, in his second year with the Gators, earns his first Women's Coach of the Year honor after leading his squad to their highest point total (1,138) since NCAC competition began in the 1984-85 season. Allegheny also finished third overall, which was the Gators’ best finish since a third-place showing in 2011. Niggel’s swimmers logged an all-conference relay performance with a third-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay. The 400 free relay team of McClaren Rodriguez (Mason City, IA/Mason City), Sadie Brown (Portland, OR/Pacific Crest Community), Aimee Verardi (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) and Miranda Farley (Cleveland, OH/North Royalton) clocked in at 3:32.11, breaking the previous school record of 3:34.26 that was set in 2011.