MPSF Swim & Dive Annual Awards Announced

3/31/2023 11:00:00 AM

Photo: Hawaii's Laticia Transom (Courtesy: UH Athletics)

2023 MPSF Women's Swimming & Diving Annual Awards (PDF)

2023 MPSF Men's Swimming & Diving Annual Awards (PDF)

WOMEN:

2023 MPSF SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
LATICIA TRANSOM · FIFTH YEAR · HAWAII

University of Hawaii fifth year Laticia Transom (New Zealand) turned in the greatest single season in MPSF history. She contributed a meet-high 100 points toward the Rainbow Wahine conference title with three individual victories and four relay wins. Transom was an MPSF Champion and first team all-conference honoree in the 50 free (22.26), 100 free (47.86), 100 back (51.88), 200 medley relay (1:37.96), and 200 (1:29.83), 400 (3:14.74), and 800 free relays (7:12.51). She broke the all-time MPSF Championship record in six of those seven wins. Transom continued her postseason in the NCAA Championships, where she was named an All-American with a seventh-place swim in the 100 free (47.50). She recorded four other top-25 results at NCAA’s in the 400 free relay (3:15.90--20th), 200 free relay (1:29.40--21st), 200 free (1:44.99--22nd), and 50 free (22.18--24th). During the season, Transom broke six school records and was a three-time MPSF Athlete of the Week. Transom represents Hawaii’s seventh MPSF Swimmer of the Year award (Phoebe Hines, 2019-20; Franziska Weidner, 2016-18; Jasmine Alkhaldi, 2015).

2023 MPSF FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
HOLLY NELSON · FRESHMAN · HAWAII

University of Hawaii freshman Holly Nelson (Sydney, Australia) competed on four MPSF Championship relay teams, three of which set a conference meet record and school record during the season. Nelson swam a leg for the first place 200 medley relay, as well as for the winning 200, 400, and 800 free relays to earn first-team all-conference honors in each event. Individually, Nelson took second-place in the MPSF’s 50 and 100 free, and seventh-place in the 100 fly, for three additional all-conference swims. She totaled 86 MPSF points toward the UH team title. She advanced to the NCAA Championships where she competed on the UH 200 and 400 free relay teams. Nelson is the fourth MPSF Freshman of the Year recipient from Hawaii (Kathryn Ivanov-2022, Ivy Houser-2018; Kira Webster-2015).

2023 MPSF DIVER OF THE YEAR
ALEXIA JACKSON · FRESHMAN · BYU

Brigham Young University freshman Alexia Jackson (Mesa, AZ) won the three-meter (323.70) and platform (277.80) MPSF titles and placed a close second on the one-meter (295.20), making her a first team all-conference honoree on all three individual boards and the highest scoring conference championship diver with 57 points. She added a second-place finish on the exhibition relay for second team recognition. At the NCAA Zone Qualifying meet, Jackson placed in the top-18 and was the top MPSF diver in two of the three events. Jackson is the second MPSF Diver of the Year from BYU, including a repeat by the Cougars from last year (Kennedy Cribbs).

2023 MPSF SWIM COACH OF THE YEAR
MICHAEL STEPHENS · FIRST YEAR · HAWAII

University of Hawaii Head Coach Michael Stephens, in his first season, guided the Rainbow Wahine to their sixth MPSF Championship in the last seven years and seventh team title overall. Hawaii won a conference-high nine of the 18 swim titles (50 %), and placed in the top-three in 13 of the 18 swim events at the 2023 MPSF Championships. The Rainbow Wahine broke six MPSF Championship records this year, three individually by Laticia Transom in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 back, as well as three relays which all included Transom in the 200 medley relay, 200 free relay, and 400 free relay. Stephens represents the seventh time UH has earned the MPSF Women’s Swim Coach of the Year award (Elliot Ptasnik, 2020-21; Dan Schemmel, 2017-19; Victor Wales, 2015).

2023 MPSF DIVING COACH OF THE YEAR
TYCE ROUTSON · EIGHTH YEAR · BYU

Brigham Young University Diving Coach Tyce Routson helped guide the Cougars to a third-place overall team finish at the 2023 MPSF Championships. Routson coached MPSF Diver of the Year Alexia Jackson, who won two MPSF titles and finished as the highest MPSF Diver in the NCAA Zones on two of the three boards. On the MPSF Championship One-Meter, the Cougars placed four divers in the top-eight. BYU also had three of the top-eight divers on both the three-meter and platform events, and finished second in the exhibition relay for a total of 13 all-conference honors. This is the second MPSF Diving Coach of the Year honor for Routson on the women’s side, including a repeat of last year. He also won his fourth men’s coach of the year award this year.

MEN:

2023 MPSF SWIMMER OF THE YEAR
BRAD PROLO · SENIOR · BYU

Brigham Young University senior Brad Prolo (San Clemente, CA) won 2023 MPSF titles in the 100 breast with a time of 52.67 and the 200 fly with a time of 1:44.25, and finished third in the 200 IM in 1:46.11. He swam the fly leg in the 200-medley relay with a 21.07 split to help the relay team place second. Prolo finished with 64.5 individual points in leading the Cougars to the MPSF Team Championship. Prolo then competed in a Last Chance Meet where he qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200 fly with a new BYU record of 1:42.41. He recorded a time of 1:43.50 in the 200 fly at the NCAA’s. Prolo represents the seventh MPSF Swimmer of the Year award for BYU, including the last three-straight (Javier Nicolas-2022, Josue Dominguez-2021, Payton Sorenson-2019, Jake Taylor-2015-16, Brandon Watson-2012). Prolo also earned the MPSF Freshman of the Year honor in 2018.

2023 MPSF FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
VILI SIVEC · FRESHMAN · CSU BAKERSFIELD

CSU Bakersfield freshman Vili Sivec (Zabok, Croatia) was the only freshman to win a 2023 individual MPSF title, taking first-place with an NCAA D-I ‘B’ cut time in the 200 free of 1:34.72. Sivec also recorded a second-place finish in the 200 fly (1:44.81), making him a two-time All-MPSF first team selection, and finished fourth in the 500 free in 4:25.25 to earn second team honors in that event. Sivec proceeded to be a finalist in all three of his events at the National Invitation Championships, finishing in third-place in the 200 fly, seventh in the 500 free, and ninth in the 100 fly. He won 11 events through CSUB’s dual meet schedule and was a two-time MPSF Athlete of the Week. Sivec is the third MPSF Freshman of the Year recipient from CSU Bakersfield (Mitch Huxhold-2012; Evan Vizcarra-2011).

2023 MPSF DIVER OF THE YEAR
MICKEY STRAUSS · SENIOR · BYU

Brigham Young University senior Mickey Strauss (Provo, UT) was the only diver from the MPSF who qualified for the 2023 NCAA Championships. He won the platform event at the MPSF Championships, finished second on the one-meter, and third on three-meter. He contributed 53 points to BYU winning the MPSF team title. As an exhibition event, Strauss also played a key role on the first place diving relay team, making it four first team all-conference honors. At NCAA Zones, Strauss placed higher than any other MPSF diver by finishing ninth on one-meter, fifth on three-meter, and sixth on platform. His top-10 positions on all three boards qualified him to compete in all three events at NCAAs. This is the third MPSF Diver of the Year award for Strauss.

2023 MPSF SWIM COACH OF THE YEAR
JACLYN ROSEN · SECOND YEAR · UC SANTA BARBARA

UC Santa Barbara Head Coach Jaclyn Rosen led the Gauchos to a second-place MPSF finish at the conference championships, well over 100 points ahead of third-place. UCSB won a conference-high 12 of the 18 MPSF swim titles (66.67%), and placed in the top-three in 17 of the 18 swim events. Individually, UCSB’s MPSF Championships came from Kyle Brill in the 200 IM and 400 IM, Matt Driscoll in the 100 back and 200 back, Sean Gutowski in the 50 free and 100 free, Alec Cullen in the 200 breast, Austin Sparrow in the 500 free, and Taber daCosta in the 1650 free. Three Gaucho relay teams also won the MPSF Gold in the 200 and 800 free relays along with the 200 medley relay. Brill finished the year ranked in the NCAA’s top-100 in each of his events, and posted 18 victories along with a 400 IM Olympic Trial cut. This is Rosen’s first career MPSF Coach award, and UCSB’s third all-time on the men’s side (Matt Macedo, 2017-18).

2023 MPSF DIVING COACH OF THE YEAR
TYCE ROUTSON · EIGHTH YEAR · BYU

Brigham Young University Diving Coach Tyce Routson helped guide the Cougars to a first-place overall team finish at the 2023 MPSF Championships. Routson coached MPSF Diver of the Year Mickey Strauss, who was the only diver from the MPSF who qualified for the NCAA Championships this year. Strauss, who contributed 53 points toward the Cougars’ title, posted top-10 placements at the NCAA Zones on all three boards to qualify in each event for the NCAA Championships. On platform, the Cougars placed two of the top-three and five of the top-eight divers at the MPSF Championships. The BYU men totaled a meet-high of 15 All-MPSF awards across all four conference championship diving events. This is the fourth MPSF Men’s Diving Coach of the Year award for Routson, in addition to his last two honors on the women’s side.