Mikesell, Nemetz and Villa earn All-PSAC Major Awards
All-PSAC Performers
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. --- The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has released the major award winners for the 2020-21 Women’s Swimming season, the league office announced Friday afternoon.
The awards are determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches. The top three finishers in each event at the PSAC Championships are recognized as all-conference performers. The list is linked above.
Indiana (Pa.) junior Paige Mikesell was named the Swimming Athlete of the Year after claiming tons of hardware this season. Mikesell was dominant all season after winning a National Title in the 200M Free earlier this season. She concluded her year with a dominant performance at the PSAC Championships, taking home Top Performer honors for the second straight year. She won the 200 IM (2:02.74), the 100 Fly (54.43) and the 400 Relay, and then won four events on day two including the 200 Fly (1:59.71), the 800 Free relay, the 100 Free (51.01) and the 400 Free relay.
Gannon’s Francesca Nemetz garnered Freshman of the Year recognition. She was solid in her first season for the Golden Knights earning all-conference honors at the PSAC Championships in the 500 Yard free, the 800 Yard Free relay, the 400 Yard Free relay, and the 400 Yard Medley relay.
IUP head coach Chris Villa captured Coach of the Year honors. Villa aided the Crimson Hawks to the PSAC women’s swimming title and coached four All-Americans in P. Mikesell, Claire Mikesell, Rachel Johnson, and Iliana Oikonomou.
Women’s Swimming Athlete of the Year: Paige Mikesell, Indiana
Women’s Swimming Freshman of the Year: Francesca Nemetz, Gannon
Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year: Chris Villa, Indiana
ABOUT THE PSAC
Headquartered in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference comprised of 18 institutions in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The member institutions are Bloomsburg University, California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University, East Stroudsburg University, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown University, Lock Haven University, Mansfield University, Mercyhurst University, Millersville University, The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Seton Hill University, Shepherd University, Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University and West Chester University.