Swimming and Diving Celebrates 2019-20 Season
It was a great season for the Bulldogs as the women won the NEC Championships for the third year in a row and the men placed third at the MAAC Championships.
Bulldog Award
The Bulldog Award is given by the athletic department, it is the highest honor for the swimming and diving team. It is given to the male and female swimmer who has displayed all-around excellence. High GPA, team leader, an active participant in community events and recruiting events, and success in the pool.
Matthew Mays (St. Croix, Virgin Islands) won the award on the men's side. Head Coach Katie Cameron said, "Mays is an incredible teammate! Always looking out for anyone who wears the Bulldog on their cap. For years he has raised the bar with his work ethic- always going as far as possible with his underwaters. Always being the best he can be. At the MAAC Championships this year he scored 54 points. He is a 3-time MAAC champion – 1 individual event, two relays. He broke two school records. During the dual meet season he consistently won both backstroke events and set the tone with the 200MR. Deans list and great leadership".
Alyssa DiFiore (Wethersfield, Conn.) earned the women's honor. Coach Cameron said, "Great captain and leader for our program. – Huge contributor in the classroom and pool. A valuable member of SAAC. To quote some of her teammates -Alyssa has been the most consistent person on this team since the moment I stepped foot on campus. She is dedicated to the sport of swimming, her team, and still incredibly is a double major. Her sincerity and integrity are truly contagious, and I am so blessed to of swam with easily one of the best captains I have had the privilege of working with. She Dominated the 500 and 1000 during her Bulldog career. Was a member of the 800 Free NEC winning relay 3 years in a row. She won the 500 free this year with a lifetime best. Set the mile record in December."
MVP Award
The MVP award is given to the individual who scored the most points during the season including dual meets, conference meet…clear cut -by points.
Alaina Scifo (Ipswitch, Great Britain) was named the MVP on the women's team. Assistant Coach Brian Keane said, "It was hard to not hear this woman's name throughout the season, constantly winning events. At the beginning of the season, she started her winning ways claiming wins in both the 100 and 200 Backstroke against Providence College. From that day on, she went the rest of the season undefeated in dual meets in the 200 Back. That's four months, out-touching nine other teams in her specialty event. At the Gompei Invitational, she swept both backstroke events. Along with her teammates, she helped set meet records in both the 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay. At the NEC Championships she showcased her talents right from the start. On the first night, she led off the 200 medley relay and anchored the 800 freestyle relay, taking home gold on both relays with her teammates. She took home silver in the 500 Freestyle in a time of 4:55.62. Of course, in perfect fashion, she swept both the 100 Backstroke and 200 Backstroke. On the 400 medley relay, she took home gold with her teammates and broke the longest-standing Bryant school record, leading it off with a time of 54.70. By the end of NECs, she stood atop the podium in five different events and was crowned an NEC Champion for the third year in a row. This season she tallied 746 dual meet points for us."
FuKang Wong (Johor, Malaysia) earned the honor for the men. Coach Keane said, "Right from the beginning, he made an impact on the Bryant swimming & diving program. In his first meet as a Bulldog against Boston College, he broke the Chace Pool record in both the 100 Breaststroke and the 200 Breaststroke. Two weeks later against Iona, he again broke his pool records, in the 100 Breaststroke and 200 Breaststroke. He clocked a time of 54.59 in the 100, which at the time, placed him as the 11th fastest in the country. He also broke the 100 Breaststroke and 200 Breaststroke pool records at the US Coast Guard Academy and the 100 Breaststroke pool record at Boston University. At the Gompei Invitational, he swept the Breaststroke events. He broke the meet records in the 50 Breast and 100 Breast, as well as the WPI Pool record in the 50 Breaststroke. At the MAAC Championships, he dominated. Along with his teammates, he took home gold on both the 200-medley relay and 400-medley relay. Also, he swept both Breaststroke events. He broke the MAAC record and our school record in the 100 Breast with a time of 53.40. Likewise, in the 200 Breast, surging from behind the last 50 yards, he too broke the MAAC record and our school record with a time of 1:57.52. By the end of the season, he tallied 359 dual meets points for us."
Most Improved Award
This Most Improved award is given to the individual who showed the most improvement during the course of the season. This is the person who has shown great time improvements as well as personal growth in the sport of swimming.
Zach DiGiaro (Middletown, N.J.) won the award on the men's side. Coach Cameron said, "Zach DiGiaro made a huge adjustment this year to his training. His attitude and effort improved every day of the season. He become a leader when we needed him the most. He dominated the fly events all season. Improved his sprint freestyle abilities and qualified for the National Invitational Championships meet."
Alexa Rivera (Boynton Beach, Fla.) earned the honor for the women's team. Coach Cameron said, "She branched out this year and took several of the freshmen under her wing. All and all, while there may not have been huge drops in time, Alexa stepped up and bettered herself, which was evident to the team through her attitude and mindset in addition to the personal growth teammates expressed. She dropped major times in the 400 IM and the 100 fly and placed third in the 400 IM at the NECs. She was a member of winning 400 medley relay and showed a huge improvement in dual meets this season and sprint events."
Rookie of the Year Award
The Rookie of the Year is awarded to the freshman Bulldog swimmer who made a big impact on the team. This person dealt well with the transition into collegiate swimming and demonstrated their ability to contribute to all aspects of the team.
Sammi Grenon (Cheshire, Conn.) won the award on the women's side. Assistant Coach Aimee Bourassa said, "Sammi broke two school records (400 IM, 1000 free, and 1650 free) on her way to winning two individual events at NECs. Was the recipient of the NEC Rookie of the Meet award and scored the second-most points on the team at the conference meet. Her teammates speak highly of her and lovingly refer to her as the "Tiny Tank". Despite swimming some of the most challenging events in the water, she always has a smile on her face and accepts any challenge the coaches present to her."
Jake Williams (Peabody, Mass.) earned the award on the men's team. Coach Bourassa said, "Jake has gained confidence and momentum throughout his freshman year. During the dual meet season he swims whatever the team needed, showing his versatility and willingness to contribute in any way he could. He had great gains in the weight room, during dryland training and scored points in two of his three events at MAACs, dropping over 7 seconds in his 200 fly. He had an exceptional work ethic throughout the season and positively contributed to team morale every day."
Teammate of the Year Award
The Teammate of the year award is voted on by the team.
Alyvia Beaudion (Corpus Christi, Texas) earned the award on the women's side. Assistant Coach Aidan Devers said, "Alyvia is a hard worker in and out of the pool. When someone is having an off day she is the first to stop and make sure they are alright. In the pool and in the weight room she is constantly giving her all and pushing those around her to do the same. She took the time this year to help the freshmen adjust and despite her injuries this year she always managed to stay positive."
Matthew Mastroianni (Glastonbury, Conn.) won the award for the men's team. Coach Devers said, "Matt is a natural-born leader. Both an excellent student and athlete, he is always giving his all. He can always be heard at practice cheering on his teammates and getting them through tough sets. He is outgoing, respectful, and charismatic. Mastro is everything you would want in a captain and a teammate."
Nicole Salzano Perseverance Award
The Nicole Salzano Perseverance award isn't given even year. It is given to someone who has been faced with adversity and was courageous and strong to overcome it.
Robert Davis (Glastonbury, Conn.) took home the award. Davis showed his strength throughout the year by continuing to work hard in the water and also be a great teammate for everyone. He also showed his work ethic in the classroom by being named to the MAAC All-Academic team.
Kelly Hill Award
A special award that is not given every year. The recipient must be a senior and have made a strong impact on the team. The unsung hero who has not always been acknowledged for the constant dedication to the program. Never misses a workout, lap, or stroke and always done with a good attitude.
John Blair (West Springfield, Mass.) was given the award. Blair was an excellent teammate and gave his best effort every day. He also made the MAAC All-Academic team this season.
Diving Award
This season the diving award was given to the most improved diver.
John Famiglietti (Newington, Conn.) is the recipient of this award. At the MAAC Championships Famigliettid worked paid off as he qualified for the "B" final in the three-meter dive and placed 15th with a score of 169.25.