Mountain Pacific Sports Federation

MPSF Swim & Dive Annual Awards Announced

4/4/2024 1:30:41 PM

Photo: Juli Arzave, UC San DIego (by: UCSD Athletics)


2024 All-MPSF Women's Swimming & Diving (PDF)


2024 All-MPSF Men's Swimming & Diving (PDF)

   
UC San Diego fifth year Juli Arzave (San Diego, CA) was the MPSF Champion in the 500 free with a program record-setting time of 4:45.91, along with winning a conference title in the 1650 free in 16:30.80. She also finished in fourth-place at the MPSF Championships in the 200 free (1:49:00), for 55 individual points toward the Tritons’ overall third-place finish. Arzave swam the leadoff leg for the MPSF’s third-place 800 free relay (7:18.09; 1:50.92 split). She was the CSCAA National Invitational Champion in the 1650 free (16:19.80, defending title) and 1000 free (9:53.66).  Arzave was the MPSF Swim & Dive Athlete of the Week on January 24, after victories in the 1000 free and 500 free in the Tritons’ double-dual win over Cal Baptist and Grand Canyon. Arzave is UC San Diego’s first-ever MPSF Swimmer of the Year recipient.
University of Hawaii senior Elma Lund (Baerum, Norway) was a three-time 2024 MPSF Champion on the three-meter, platform, and team event. She won the three-meter with a zone mark of 284.10 (season-high), won the platform with a zone mark of 272.90 (season-high), and posted a second-place finish on the one-meter with a zone score of 274.10 (season-high 274.20 prelim). Lund contributed 57 points toward Hawaii’s MPSF Swim & Dive Team Championship. She achieved eight zone marks during 2023-24, and was the only MPSF Diver to do so on all three boards. Lund went on to place 20th on the platform at the zone championships. Lund represents Hawaii’s 10th MPSF Female Diver of the Year out of the 12 years the award has been given.
   
UC San Diego freshman Asia Kozan (Diamond Bar, CA) was the MPSF Champion in the 200 free with a Triton team record 1:46.31, while also winning the MPSF 200 fly title in 1:57.72. She also swam on two MPSF Champion relays- 200 free (Triton record 1:29.96; 3^rd leg- 22.12) and 400 medley (3:36.16; anchor– 48.85). Two of Kozan’s MPSF relays also took third-place--800 free (7:18.09; anchor- 1:46.67) and 400 free (3:20.53; 3rd leg- 48.78). Kozan claimed three titles at the CSCAA National Invitational Championship in the 400 IM with a team record 4:11.85, 200 fly (1:58.20), and 400 medley relay (team record 3:35.88; anchor-48.76). Kozan was the MPSF Swim & Dive Athlete of the Week on November 22 after being the top point-scorer at the Utah Tech Invite. Kozan is UC San Diego’s first MPSF Freshman of the Year recipient.  
   
University of Hawaii Head Coach Michael Stephens, in his second season, led the Rainbow Wahine in defending their MPSF Team Championship in a convincing manner. Hawaii’s margin of victory for the MPSF team title of 188 points was the second-widest of all-time (2018 UH—205-point margin). Hawaii collected five swim titles and placed in the top-three in 13 of the 18 swim events at the 2024 MPSF Championships. The Rainbow Wahine posted first-place conference swims in the 200 breast (Zofia Tyminska), 200 back (Dorottya Dobos), 100 back (Anna Friedrich), 800 free relay, and 400 free relay. Stephens, who repeats the honor, represents the eighth all-time MPSF Women’s Swim Coach of the Year for Hawaii (Stephens, 2023-24; Elliot Ptasnik, 2020-21; Dan Schemmel, 2017-19; Victor Wales, 2015).
   
University of Hawaii Diving Coach Brandon Blaisdell helped lead the Rainbow Wahine to a first-place overall team finish at the 2024 MPSF Championships. Blaisdell coached MPSF Diver of the Year Elma Lund, who was the only diver from the MPSF to reach an NCAA Zone mark on all three boards this year, while totaling eight on the season. Lund finished her season with a top-20 NCAA Zone placement. Including Lund’s MPSF titles on the team event, three-meter, and platform, and Isabelle Lombardi’s one-meter title, Hawaii secured nine of the 10 available spots for the first team All-MPSF Women’s Diving list, as well as four additional honorees for the second team. This is the first MPSF Women’s Diving Coach of the Year award for Blaisdell, and 10th of the possible 12 for Hawaii (Mike Brown/Anita Rossing consecutively from 2013-21).
   
CSU Bakersfield sophomore Vili Sivec (Zabok, Croatia) broke three MPSF records at the 2024 MPSF Championships; 200 free (NCAA No. 64-ranked 1:33.70 as 800 leadoff), 100 fly (46.19), and 200 fly (NCAA No. 64-ranked 1:43.57). Sivec became just the second male athlete to hold three individual MPSF records (Jake Taylor, BYU). He was this year’s MPSF Champion in the 100 and 200 fly and finished in fourth-place in the 50 free (19.76). Sivec broke the Croatian National Record in the 200 fly long course at the Princeton Invite in 1:58.09, and qualified for the World Championships. He broke the CSUB short course records in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 100 fly, and 200 fly, and the school’s long course records in the 100 free, 100 fly, and 200 fly. Sivec was twice named the MPSF Athlete of the Week this year on October 25 and December 6. Sivec is the second Roadrunner to be named MPSF Men’s Swimmer of the Year (Jake Priest, 2011).
   
University of Hawaii senior Mackaby Pennington (Pacific Grove, CA) was a 2024 NCAA Championship Qualifier on the platform, after placing seventh at NCAA Zones. He finished 26th at the NCAA Championships with a score of 305.85, the highest placement for a UH diver on the NCAA Platform since 2016. Pennington was the MPSF Champion on the one-meter where he posted a career-best 363.95. He was the MPSF runner-up on both the three-meter (338.10) and platform (personal-best 356.90). He accumulated 19 zone marks during 2023-24, and recorded at least one zone score at every competition. Pennington took first-place five times this year, including the one-meter at the CBU Quad and one-meter and platform at the SMU Invite. Pennington is the eighth MPSF Men’s Diver of the Year from Hawaii.
   
University of the Incarnate Word freshman Belal Zahran (Cairo, Egypt) recorded third-place dives on both the three-meter (303.45) and platform (257.45) at the MPSF Championships, making him the only first-year male athlete (swimmers and divers combined) to earn multiple first team all-conference awards. He also took seventh on the MPSF’s one-meter (235.30) for second team honors, to end up with a freshman-high 44 individual points toward the Cardinals’ third-place team finish. Zahran was an NCAA Zone qualifier on both the one (328.50) and three-meter (333.08) boards, and was named the diver of the meet at the Delta State Invitational (Dec. 9-12). Zahran is the first-ever MPSF Swimming & Diving major annual award recipient from UIW. 
University of Hawaii Head Coach Michael Stephens led the Warriors to an MPSF Team Championship, well over 100 points ahead of the second-place finisher. Hawaii won a conference-high nine of the 18 MPSF Swim titles (50 %), and placed in the top-three in 14 of the 18 swim events. Individually, MPSF Championships by the Warriors came from Karol Ostrowski in the 50 free, Mario Surkovic in the 200 free, Justin Lisoway in the 100 breast, and Jordan Meacham in the 100 free. Hawaii also had the most remarkable MPSF Championship Relay results in conference history, setting an MPSF record in all five relays-- the 200, 400 (NCAA No. 24-ranked), and 800 free (NCAA No. 30-ranked), along with the No. 29 NCAA-ranked 200 and No. 36-ranked 400 medley. The Warriors' Ostrowski, Meacham, Jakub Ksiazek, and Grant Stoddard went on to NCAA’s where they broke their own 200 free relay record in a No. 19 nationally-ranked 1:16.23. Ostrowski also broke his own UH 50 free record with a leadoff leg of 18.89. This is the first career MPSF Men’s Coaching award for Stephens, to go with his two on the women’s side. This is also the fourth such honor for Hawaii on the men’s side (Elliot Ptasnik-2020, Dan Schemmel-2019, Victor Wales-2014).
   
University of Hawaii Diving Coach Brandon Blaisdell helped guide the Warriors to a first-place overall team finish at the 2024 MPSF Championships. Blaisdell coached MPSF Diver of the Year Mac Pennington, who was the only diver from the MPSF to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Pennington, who contributed 54 points toward the Warriors’ conference title, placed in the top-two on all three MPSF boards and went on to record the highest UH finish in eight years on the NCAA Platform. Pennington hit a zone score in each meet this year. The Hawaii men collected six of the 10 first team All-MPSF awards this year, with Pennington and Juan Gonzalez going one-two on each of the three boards. This is the first MPSF Men’s Diving Coach of the Year award for Blaisdell, and sixth for Hawaii (Mike Brown/Anita Rossing- 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2014).