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Emory & Henry Women’s Swimming Earns All-ODAC And Academic Honors

Emory & Henry Women’s Swimming Earns All-ODAC And Academic Honors

FOREST, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Swimming team has seen 10 of its 16 members named to the All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference teams, ODAC officials announced Tuesday. Four Wasps were named to the All-ODAC First Team, four to the all-league second team and two were named to the third team.

The all-conference teams were determined by placement in events at the 2015 ODAC Swimming Championships. Those placing first or second in individual events earned first team distinction, while third- and fourth-place finishers were tabbed to the second team. The third team is comprised of fifth- and sixth-place swimmers.

Sophomore Jessica Richardson (Vero Beach, Fla.) was selected as the recipient of the Bonnie Kestner Sportsmanship Award. She is the first Wasp to receive the honor, which is named for the former Sweet Briar College head coach.

Sophomore Michaela Nolte (Hillsborough, N.C.) won all three of her individual events and swam on all three of the Wasps’ first- place relays. She posted new ODAC Records in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke and achieved a pair of NCAA “B” Qualifying Standards.

Junior Taylor Guardalabene (Charlotte, N.C.), Richardson and sophomore Allison Fowler (Morristown, Tenn.) each earned All-ODAC First-Team accolades after being crowned individual ODAC Champions. Richardson was a part of all three relay victories while Fowler was a member of two.

E&H also had four swimmers on the second team consisting of junior Payton Shirey (Seaford, Del.), freshman Mackenzie Lingle (Roanoke, Va.), freshman Holly Roth (Albuquerque, N.M.) and freshman Kelsey Jones (Roanoke, Va.). Lingle swam on all three of Emory & Henry’s first-place relays while Shirey was a relay champion as well.

Junior Nicole Powell (Apex, N.C.) and freshman Marina Moore (Thomasville, N.C.) earned all-conference honors as well, as they earned a spot on the third team.

It is the third-straight year that Guardalabene has been on the All-ODAC First Team while Powell is third-team all-league for a third time. Shirey earned all-conference honors for a third year in a row as well.

Dave Griffore, in his third year leading the Wasps, was selected by his peers as the ODAC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year. In just three seasons, Griffore and his staff have launched Emory & Henry into a contender in the conference, winning 18 individual conference titles. The Wasps have finished second at the ODAC Championships the past two seasons after a fourth-place finish in 2013.

On the weekend, Emory & Henry won nine of the 18 events (six individual, three relays) setting 10 new program records. The Wasps also set new ODAC-record marks in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay.

In recognition of their accomplishments in the classroom during the Fall 2014 semester, the Wasps were tabbed as “Scholar All-America” by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. With a team grade-point average of 3.52, Emory & Henry tied for eighth in NCAA Division III which was good for first among the four ODAC schools recognized. For a complete listing of the fall 2014 CSCAA Team Scholar All-America Team honorees from NCAA Division III, click HERE.

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2015 ALL-ODAC WOMEN'S SWIMMING TEAMS

ODAC Swimmer of the Year: Emily Rollo, So., Washington and Lee
ODAC Coach of the Year: Dave Griffore, Emory & Henry
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Kira Tomenchok, Fr., Washington and Lee
ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete: Stephanie Foster, Jr., Washington and Lee
Bonnie Kestner Sporstmanship: Jessica Richardson, So., Emory & Henry
 
All-ODAC First Team
Allison Fowler So. Emory & Henry
Taylor Guardalabene Jr. Emory & Henry
Michaela Nolte So. Emory & Henry
Jessica Richardson So. Emory & Henry
Natalie Brendsel So. Washington and Lee
Stephanie Foster Jr. Washington and Lee
Cassidy Fuller Fr. Washington and Lee
Kaitlyn Gardner Fr. Washington and Lee
Sydney Gay Sr. Washington and Lee
Elisabeth Holmes So. Washington and Lee
Emily Rollo So. Washington and Lee
Kira Tomenchok Fr. Washington and Lee
 
 
 
All-ODAC Second Team
Kelsey Jones Fr. Emory & Henry
Mackenzie Lingle Fr. Emory & Henry
Holly Roth Fr. Emory & Henry
Payton Shirey Jr. Emory & Henry
Megan Granger Fr. Randolph-Macon
Emily Plowman So. Randolph-Macon
Megan Monahan So. Sweet Briar
Caroline Hamp Sr. Washington and Lee
Jillian Leigh So. Washington and Lee
Claire Meyers Fr. Washington and Lee
Meredith Murphy Jr. Washington and Lee
Haylee Rademann So. Washington and Lee
Sarah Schaffer Jr. Washington and Lee
Mara Tynan Fr. Washington and Lee
 
 
 
All-ODAC Third Team
Marina Moore Fr. Emory & Henry
Nicole Powell Jr. Emory & Henry
Sierra Collins So. Randolph-Macon
Rachel Leigh Jr. Randolph-Macon
Emily Maltby Sr. Randolph-Macon
Jordan McConnell Sr. Randolph-Macon
Rachel Baker So. Washington and Lee
Mary Gabe Sr. Washington and Lee
Emma Swabb Jr. Washington and Lee