Wolfpack Tabs Five Annual ACC Awards
3/30/2017 4:09:00 PM | Swimming
Holloway, Held, Stewart and Perry earn honors
ACC Release
GREENSBORO, N.C.— After posting historic results during the championship season, the NC State men's and women's swimming and diving teams earned five annual conference awards, as announced by the league Thursday afternoon.
The Wolfpack won Men's Coach of the Year, Women's Coach of the Year, Men's Swimmer of the Year, Men's Freshman of the Year and Women's Freshman of the Year.
In his sixth year at the helm of the program, Braden Holloway was named Men's Coach of the Year and Women's Coach of the Year after leading both programs to titles at their respective ACC Championship meets as well as their highest finishes in program history at the NCAA Championships. The men's team won its third-straight ACC meet and took fourth at NCAAs while the women's program clinched its first conference win since 1980 and finished seventh overall at NCAAs.
This is Holloway's third-straight Men's Coach of the Year award and fourth overall.
For the third year in a row, the Wolfpack swept the men's swimming awards as Ryan Held won Male Swimmer of the Year and Coleman Stewart earned Male Freshman of the Year. Stewart is the program's third consecutive athlete to win the honor.
In a unanimous vote by the league's coaches, Held was named Male Swimmer of the Year after collecting seven gold medals at the ACC Championships and seven top-eight finishes at NCAAs. The junior's season was highlighted by a runner-up finish in the 50 freestyle and an NCAA title in the 800 free relay that broke the NCAA and U.S. Open records. He currently holds conference records in three individual and four relay events as well as school records in three individual and four relay events.
In his first year at NC State, Stewart contributed 68 points at the ACC Championships and earned CSCAA All-America honors individually in the 100 backstroke and as part of the 200 medley relay that placed sixth overall. At ACCs, the Pennsylvania native finished third in the 100 back to garner All-ACC honors and finished fourth in the 100 butterfly.
On the women's side, Ky-Lee Perry earned Female Freshman of the Year award, marking the first time an athlete from NC State has collected the honor. The Connecticut native tallied 66 points toward the team total at ACCs, highlighted by a first-place finish in the 50 freestyle in school record pace. She also earned third place in the 100 free and participated on three gold medal relays, the 200 and 400 free relays and the 200 medley relay, all three of which broke the ACC, meet and school records. At NCAAs, Perry swam on the same three relays, helping each to finish among the top 10 of competition.
2017 ACC Swimming & Diving Awards
Men's Swimmer of the Year – Ryan Held, NC State
Men's Diver of the Year – Briadam Herrera, Miami
Men's Freshman of the Year – Coleman Stewart, NC State
Men's Coach of the Year – Braden Holloway, NC State
Men's Diving Coach of the Year – Randy Ableman, Miami
Women's Swimmer of the Year – Mallory Comerford, Louisville
Women's Diver of the Year – Molly Carlson, Florida State
Women's Freshman of the Year – Ky-lee Perry, NC State
Women's Coach of the Year – Braden Holloway, NC State
Women's Diving Coach of the Year – John Proctor, Florida State
