March 23, 2009

Olivia Arnold, Amanda Carpin Recognized as Top Performers at Banquet

    Youngstown -- Senior swimmer Olivia Arnold and sophomore diver Amanda Carpin were named the Youngstown State swimming and diving performers of the year as the Penguins held their annual awards banquet on Sunday afternoon at the DeBartolo Stadium Club.

    Freshman Katie Wolf received the Most Improved Award, senior Natasha Bray was named the Most Inspirational Athlete while freshman Nishani Cicilson was selected as the Newcomer of the Year.

    Arnold, Bray and Jessica Front were honored for serving as team captains.

    The 2008-09 season was full of individual and team accomplishments, which head coach Matt Anderson paraded at the banquet.

    • The Penguins eclipsed previous school records 22 times in 13 different events.
    • YSU enjoyed a fifth-place finish at the Horizon League Championships for the third straight year. The Penguins' point total of 300 points was the most since they joined the Horizon League.

     • At the Horizon League Championships, YSU had four top-five individual finishes in the swimming events. It was a school-best for performances by swimmers and the most overall top-five finishes by the program since 2005.

    • Of the 17 members on the squad, 15 set a new career high in at least one event, while several set multiple personal bests.

    • Arnold finished her career as the school-record holder in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyles. She set the mark in the 1,000 five times, the 1,650 on three occasions and the 500, twice. At the HL Championships she was third in the 1,650 and fifth in the 1,000.

    • Ashley Williamson continued her assault on the YSU records book. During the year she set school marks in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke and 200 IM. At the Horizon League Championships she was fourth in the 100 fly. Williamson was also part of three record-breaking relay squad.
    • Junior Megan Rupe set the school record in the 200-yard freestyle during the Horizon League Championships. Rupe placed fifth in the 100-yard freestyle as well.

    • Junior Jen Johnstone established a new school mark in the 100 yard breaststroke during the year.

    • YSU set school marks in the 400 and 800-yard freestyle relays and the 200 and 400-medley relays. Impressively, eight different swimmers (Rupe, Arnold, Williamson, Johnstone, Cicilson, Caitlin Cook, Audria Grubbs and Kirstin Walker) were part of the record-setting squads.

    • The Penguins defeated Butler and Cleveland State in dual meets for the third straight season. On the season, YSU won four dual meets and the YSU Invitational in November.
    • In total, there were 53 new additions to the top-10 individual performances list and 11 in the relay entries.

    • In the classroom, YSU posted a department team-high grade-point average of 3.37 in the fall semester (2008). Sixteen student-athletes recorded a GPA above 3.0 while 14 members of the squad currently have a GPA higher than 3.0. Four team members posted a cumulative 4.0 GPA in the fall.

Team Awards
Most Improved: Katie Wolf
Most Inspirational: Natasha Bray
Newcomer Of The Year: Nishani Cicilson

Diver Of The Year: Amanda Carpin
Swimmer Of The Year: Olivia Arnold