The G-MAC Champion Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving team keeps raising the bar on what success looks like for the program with each passing year.
Now, after its third consecutive G-MAC/MEC crown this winter, the Chargers are bringing home another massive haul in the G-MAC end-of-season awards, announced on Wednesday morning by the conference office.
Hillsdale took home an unprecedented four of the five major individual awards, with only the team's lack of a diver preventing a potential clean sweep, and placed 11 swimmers on All-Conference teams, matching the total from the 2020-21 season.
Leading the way for the Chargers was freshman Elise Mason, who was named not only the G-MAC Freshman of the Year but also the G-MAC Swimmer of the Year. Mason is the first swimmer in G-MAC history to win both awards in the same season.
A late addition to the team in the summer, Mason was a revelation in her first season, setting two program records and becoming the first Charger since 2018-19 and only G-MAC swimmer to qualify for the NCAA DII National Meet. At the G-MAC/MEC Championships in February, Mason won three individual titles, breaking G-MAC/MEC meet records in the 1,650 freestyle (17:11.51) and the 500 freestyle (5:01.19) while also taking first in the 1,000 freestyle (10:28.08). She also took third in the 400 individual medley (4:36.00) and swam a leg on the winning 800 freestyle relay.
Along with Mason's dual awards, sophomore Cecilia Guadalupi also became the first Charger to win a G-MAC Elite 25 award in any sport. The award is presented each season to the athlete competing in the conference championships with the highest GPA, and Guadalupi's standout 3.96 mark was the best of any competitor. Also an excellent swimmer, Guadalupi swam legs on both the winning 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays, while also taking second in the 200 individual medley (2:08.13) and the 100 freestyle (52.59) as well.
Last, but not least, for the fourth straight season, head coach Kurt Kirner was recognized by the G-MAC as the conference's coach of the year. Once again, Kirner found a way to improve on a championship-caliber team, bringing in his third-straight sensational freshman class and not only winning a third conference title in a row, but also leading the program to an unprecedented 11-0 dual meet record in the regular season.
Hillsdale placed eight swimmers on the All-G-MAC first team. Both Mason and Guadalupi made the cut for their event victories.
If Mason had not been named the freshman of the year, either of two other Chargers could have claimed the award as an excellent freshman class flexed its muscles for Hillsdale in 2021-22. Megan Clifford, a freshman, earned first-team All-G-MAC honors with two event victories in the 100 butterfly (57.16) and the 200 butterfly (2:06.52) for Hillsdale, as well as swimming legs on the 400 medley, 800 free and 400 free relays.
Freshman Joanna Burnham also earned first-team honors for Hillsdale with a conference title in the 400 IM (4:34.70), and freshman Lily Golladay also earned a spot on the first team by swimming a leg on the 200 free relay.
Not be outdone, several Hillsdale veterans also turned in first-team worthy performances. Junior Marie Taylor won conference titles in both the 50 freestyle (23.87) and 100 freestyle (52.22) while also swimming legs on the winning 200 free and 400 free relays, and junior Leah Tunney won the 200 freestyle (1:54.14) while swimming legs on the winning 200, 400 and 800 freestyle relays.
Sophomore Caroline Holmes also earned first-team All-G-MAC honors for Hillsdale, swimming a leg on the winning 800 freestyle relay while placing in several more events.
Joining her freshman teammates in excelling all season, Hillsdale's Emmalyse Dickhudt also earned second-team All-G-MAC honors, swimming on a 400 medley relay team that finished runner-up in the G-MAC/MEC meet.
Sisters Anna and Sarah Clark each brought home third-team All-G-MAC honors for the Chargers. Anna Clark was on the 200 medley relay team that took third at the G-MAC/MEC Championships, while Sarah took third among G-MAC competitors in the 1,000 freestyle at the G-MAC/MEC Championships as well.
With 9 of 11 G-MAC honorees, including Mason, slated to return for the 2022-23 season, the future is bright for the Chargers as Hillsdale looks to bring home a fourth-straight G-MAC crown and extend its unbeaten streak in duals.
Photos courtesy of Malone Athletics