LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - West Chester University’s Kenny McCormick has been named the 2009-10 PSAC men's swimmer of the year while Jackie Borkowski has been named the PSAC women's swimmer of the year as the Golden Rams’ duo highlights the PSAC postseason swimming awards.
The Golden Rams swept the awards on the men's side as Tommy Rhoads copped freshman of the year and head coach Jamie Rudisill earned coach of the year. Clarion's Kayla Shull was the women's freshman of the year while Kutztown head coach Tim Flannery pocketed coach of the year on the women’s side.
McCormick played a big part in helping the West Chester men win its 12th straight PSAC championship as he was named the men's outstanding swimmer of the meet. At the PSAC championships, McCormick won all three individual events he entered, the 200-yard and 400 individual medleys and the 200 butterfly. In doing so, he broke his own PSAC meet and overall records in the 200 IM and also broke the PSAC record in the 400 IM by almost three seconds while winning the event by nearly 10 seconds. The junior also helped West Chester finish ninth at the NCAA championships, the highest finishing PSAC team. He earned All-America status in both the 200 and 400 IM, finishing fifth in the 200 and sixth in the 400.
Borkowski earns the PSAC swimmer of the year award for the second straight season after also garnering the award last year. She was also named the women's outstanding swimmer of the meet at the PSAC championships for the second straight season after also winning all three of the events in which she entered at the PSAC meet. She repeated as the individual champion in both the 50 and 100 freestyle and also won the 200 free. She saved the best performance of her career for her last career collegiate meet as she won individual national championships in three events at the NCAA championships, winning the 50, 100 and 200 free while also earning All-America honors in the 500 free with a fourth-place finish en route to being named the female swimmer of the meet. Her performances helped the Golden Rams to a fourth-place team finish at the NCAA meet. Borkowski, who appears in this week's Sports Illustrated in the "Face in the Crowd" section, wraps up her career as a 22-time All-American over her four-year career.
Rhoads is the men's freshman of the year, after emerging as one of the top freestyle distance swimmers in the PSAC to help lead West Chester to its PSAC title. Rhoads won individual PSAC titles in both the 500 and 1000 freestyle at the PSAC meet. He followed up that performance by earning All-America honors in the same two events at the NCAA meet, finishing sixth in the 1000 and eighth in the 500.
Rudisill earns his eighth all-time PSAC men's coach of the year award. Overall, this is his ninth coach of the year citation, as he also has been the coach of the year on the women's side once. Under his guidance, the Golden Rams’ men won their aforementioned 12th straight PSAC title, the second-longest championship streak in PSAC men's swimming history, ranking only behind Clarion's 19 straight from 1971-1989. The championship was the 23rd all-time for the Golden Rams, moving them just one behind Clarion's 24 for the most men's swimming championship in conference history. With his team's ninth-place finish at NCAA's, the Golden Rams have now finished in the top 10 at the NCAA meet in each of the last three years.
2009-10 PSAC Men's Swimming Awards
Athlete of the Year
Kenny McCormick, West Chester
Freshman of the Year
Tommy Rhoads, West Chester
Coach of the Year
Jamie Rudisill, West Chester
2009-10 PSAC Women's Swimming Awards
Athlete of the Year
Jackie Borkowski, West Chester
Freshman of the Year
Kayla Shull, Clarion
Coach of the Year
Tim Flannery, Kutztown
