GNAC Announces 2020 Swimming & Diving Major Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Norwich's Duffy-Ansley duo take
home women's major honors

WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference is pleased to unveil its 2020 GNAC Swimming & Diving major award winners, as announced by the league office on Monday. The top-three finishers from each championship event back in early February automatically received All-Conference recognition.

On the women's side, the Norwich University pair of Megan Duffy and Nicole Ansley were selected as the GNAC Athlete and Rookie of the Year, respectively, as voted upon by the league's head coaches, while longtime Simmons University head coach Mindy Williams was named the 2020 GNAC Women's Coach of the Year after the Sharks won their 16th straight GNAC team title and 18th in 19 years.

For the men, University of Saint Joseph (CT) sophomore Jacob Wyse was voted the GNAC Athlete of the Year and Regis College freshman standout Robert Wood was name the GNAC Rookie of the Year.

Longtime Husson University head coach Butch Babin was selected by his peers as the GNAC Men's Coach of the Year as he guided the Eagles to a runner-up finish with 192 points at the GNAC Championship.

The GNAC also announced its All-Sportsmanship selections (see below), while USJ took home both the men's and women's GNAC institutional sportsmanship awards. 

Duffy was the highest ranking individual scorer at the GNACs back in early February, taking first place in all three individual events –the 500 free (5:19.98), 100 breast (1:08.03) and new GNAC-record in the 200 butterfly (2:12.84). At NEISDAs, she made the finals in her three events, finishing second in the 400 IM (4:46.26), sixth in the 100 breast (1:09.60), and second in the 200 butterfly (2:13.65). She was also twice named the NEISDA Swimmer of the Week over the winter.

As for her Cadets teammate Ansley, the Berlin, Germany native was the highest rookie individual scorer at the the GNAC Championship. After taking first place in the 50 free (24.91), she set the new GNAC standard in the 50 butterfly (26.75) along with taking second place in the 100 free with a time of 55.23. The three-time GNAC Rookie of the Week was also twice named was named NEISDA Swimmer of the Week. At NEISDAs, she made finals in all three of her events, highlighted by a second-place finish in the 50 butterfly with a time of 26.93.

Wyse, the reigning GNAC Rookie of the Year, tied for sixth at GNACs with 28 individual points across his three events, winning the 100 Breaststroke. He went on to compete at NEISDAs where he was the top GNAC finisher, and won the first-ever NEISDA gold medal, besting the regional field in the 400 IM. He also posted a runner-up swim in the 200 IM and fifth-place finish in the 100 IM at the 2020 NEISDA Championships.

Wood earned four GNAC Rookie of the Week honors during the 2019-20 campaign. He won three individual titles at GNACs, including an eight-second victory in the 500 free and a five-second win in the 200 IM. He also won the 200 freestyle to become one of just two male swimmers to finish first in all three individual events entered. Wood was the top rookie finisher from the GNAC at the NEISDA Championships, registering 47 points overall after finishing second in the 500 free, fourth in the 200 free, and sixth in the 200 IM.

WOMEN'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Megan Duffy, Norwich
MEN'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR – Jacob Wyse, St. Joseph (CT)
WOMEN'S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – Nicole Ansley, Norwich
MEN'S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – Robert Wood, Regis
WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR – Mindy Williams, Simmons
MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR – Butch Babin, Husson
WOMEN'S INSTITUTIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD – St. Joseph (Conn.)
MEN'S INSTITUTIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD – St. Joseph (Conn.)

ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM
Joselyn Streeto, Albertus Magnus
Kelsey Brown & Tim Gablosky, Colby-Sawyer
Sarah Cotto & Ryan Nodell, Elms
Abbie Howe & Steven Johnston, Husson
Keely Purington & Jack Brennan, Norwich
Thalia Bowie & Grant Kollien, Regis
Mackenzie Stotler & Jack Monroe, St. Joseph (Conn.)    
Madison Mills & Joe Nichols, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Olivia Walz, Simmons

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience. 

– #TheGNAC –