2020-21 G-MAC All-Conference Swimming and Diving Teams
How do you go up from the first conference championship in school history?
Win the title again – and in the same dominant fashion.
The Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving team did just that, capturing their second-straight G-MAC/MEC crown last week, and that strong performance is well-represented in the G-MAC's postseason accolades.
The Chargers won three of the four major conference awards and placed 11 swimmers on All-Conference teams, the G-MAC office announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Sophomore Leah Tunney was named G-MAC Co-Swimmer of the Year along with Malone senior Denise Quentin. Tunney, the 2019-20 G-MAC Freshman of the Year, had an excellent championship meet, earning the top G-MAC finish in both the 500 yard (5:04.64) and 1,000 (10:37.39) yard freestyles, and swimming on 400 (3:33.30) and 800 (7:41.71) freestyle relays that were the top G-MAC finishers in the event. Tunney also swam a leg on the runner-up 400 medley relay (3:53.95) and took second in the 100 backstroke (57.67) and 200 backstroke (2:05.68) as well. Tunney's time in the 100 backstroke was the third-fastest time in the event in Charger history.
Freshman Cecilia Guadalupi became the third Charger freshman in four years to win G-MAC/MEC Freshman of the Meet and G-MAC Freshman of the Year honors.
The Augusta, Maine native capped an excellent freshman season with conference titles in the 200 (2:06.67) and 400 (4:33.94) individual medley, and also swam legs on 200 (1:35.65) and 800 (7:41.71) freestyle relays that posted the best finishes in the G-MAC in last week's event. Guadalupi also earned runner-up finishes in the 100 breaststroke (1:05.04) and 200 breaststroke (2:24.15) and swam a leg on the runner-up 400 medley relay (3:53.95). Guadalupi's 100 breaststroke time is the second-fastest in Hillsdale history, and her 200 breaststroke and 200 and 400 individual medley times are the third-fastest in program history.
Earning G-MAC coach of the year for the third-straight year is Kurt Kirner. The head coach of the Chargers for 14 seasons now, Kirner keeps pushing the program to unprecedented heights.
After bringing in one of the best freshman classes in program history to help bring home the program's first-ever conference title, Kirner's 2020-21 recruiting class was arguably even better, helping keep Hillsdale ahead of the competition for a second-straight conference crown.
Throughout a season heavily impacted by Covid-19, where just cobbling together a schedule seemed at times like an insurmountable challenge, Kirner kept his team focused and ensured it hit its peak when it mattered most.
Seven Charger swimmers earned first team all-conference honors, including Tunney and Guadalupi. Senior Katherine Heeres, a former G-MAC/MEC Freshman of the Meet herself, was one of them, swimming legs on the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle relays that all placed ahead of G-MAC competition last week. In the final meet of her career, Heeres also took third in the 200 backstroke (2:06.11), fourth in the 100 backstroke (58.78), sixth in the 50 freestyle (24.73) and seventh in the 200 freestyle (1:57.00).
Fellow senior Emma Rao also made the first team, swimming on the winning 200 freestyle relay and also taking fourth in the 50 freestyle (24.28), sixth in the 100 freestyle (54.72) and swimming a leg on the runner-up 200 medley relay (1:46.27).
If not for Guadalupi, teammate Caroline Holmes would have won the G-MAC Freshman of the Year award with an impressive performance of her own. Holmes earned a first team spot by winning the 100 backstroke (57.46) and 200 backstroke (2:05.08) titles, and swimming legs on the 400 and 800 freestyle relays. She also finished third in the 200 freestyle (1:54.75), fourth in the 200 IM (2:10.45) and swam a leg on the runner-up 200 medley relay.
Sophomore Marie Taylor earned a first-team spot as well, finishing best in the G-MAC in both the 50 freestyle (23.81) and 100 freestyle (51.46), and also swimming legs on the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. Taylor also swam a leg on the runner-up 200 medley relay as well.
Last, but not least, junior Anna Clark made the first team thanks to her G-MAC-best finish in the 200 butterfly (2:08.93). Clark also took fourth in the 100 butterfly (58.17) and swam a leg on the 400 medley relay.
The Chargers had three second-team honorees. Anna Clark's younger sister, Sarah, was the top G-MAC finisher in the 1,650 freestyle (17:52.79), the second-best G-MAC finisher in the 1,000 freestyle (10:40.03) and also took eighth in the 200 freestyle (1:58.96) and 500 freestyle (5:16.65).
Junior Taylor Boyle earned a second-team spot for her race as a leg on the 200 medley relay, and also took eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.75) as well for Hillsdale.
Freshman Amy Mills took second in the 400 IM (4:40.18) to earn a second-team honor, and also finished fifth in the 200 IM (2:12.75) and seventh in the 200 backstroke (2:09.72).
Hillsdale had one third-team honoree, sophomore Anika Fassett, who took fourth in the 200 butterfly (2:11.84) to earn All-G-MAC recognition.