Senior Gracie Redding and sophomore Megan Wakefield have been tabbed the league’s Swimmer and Diver of the Year, respectively, the CCSA announced Tuesday afternoon.
“Congratulations to Gracie and Megan. It is an incredible honor for these young women to be recognized by our fellow coaches,” said head coach Dave Rollins. “Both of them had incredible years in the pool and on the boards, and I could not think of a better way for them to cap off their seasons. We are very proud of them.”
Redding (Orlando, FL/The First Academy) becomes the fourth swimmer in program history to earn such honor. Following the CCSA Championships, the senior was named the Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Meet for a second straight year. She defended her 50 and 100-free titles while becoming the only athlete at the meet to win three events. On top of that, the Orlando native contributed to a trio of relay championships (200-free, 400-free and 200-medley), accomplishing all this while competing with fractured ribs. Her 100 fly time (53.12) was the second-fastest in school history (2016, 52.47, Fanny Teijonsalo).
Wakefield (Guelph, Ontario, Canada/Centennial CVI) had a stellar run at the CCSA meet capturing both the 1 and 3-meter dive titles. Her mark of 336.5 on the 3-meter spring went down as a new school record. At the conclusion of the championships, the Ontario native was dubbed the Most Outstanding Female Diver of the Meet. Wakefield’s last competition came at the NCAA Zones Championships where she competed on all three boards for a second consecutive year, the first time a diver has done that in program history. The sophomore becomes the fourth diver at FGCU to earn the superlative.
CCSA Swimmer of the Year History
Emma Svensson – 2013
Kira Toussaint – 2014
Christina Kaas Elmgreen – 2017
Gracie Redding – 2019
CCSA Diver of the Year History
Karmin McNamara – 2011
Maegan Butler – 2013
Ashley Wright – 2017
Megan Wakefield – 2019
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date coverage of FGCU women’s swimming and diving, follow us on Twitter @FGCU_WSWIM and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available.
HEAD COACH DAVE ROLLINS
Head coach Dave Rollins is only the second coach in program history. He was hired Sept. 1, 2016 and recently wrapped his third season. Rollins has guided FGCU to back-to-back CCSA titles (2017, 2018), as well as the program’s fourth-straight in 2018 and ninth championship in 10 years. In addition, he has been awarded CCSA Coach of the Year in each of his two seasons at the helm. Previously, Rollins was the associate head men’s swimming coach at The Ohio State University. Rollins brings over a decade of coaching experience to The Nest, which includes Olympians, NCAA Champions and All-Americans, along with multiple conference champions. A native of Brockton, Mass., he was a standout collegiate swimmer in his own right and was inducted into the University of Arizona’s Hall of Fame in 2017, as a nine-time NCAA All-American, national champion, school record holder and team captain.
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 77 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men’s and women’s soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors’ Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in spring 2018 and had an ASUN Conference and State of Florida best five teams earn the NCAA’s Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.