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Providence College Athletics
Swimming And Diving Program Announces 2021-22 Award Winners
5/11/2022 2:09:00 PM | Swimming and Diving
The award winners were revealed at the program's season-ending ceremony.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Providence College men's and women's swimming and diving teams announced their 2021-22 season award winners recently at their annual season-ending ceremony.
The Luciani Award was awarded to junior Sally Alrutz (Springfield, Mass.). Named for Cindi Luciani '91, this award honors the women's Most Valuable Student-Athlete in dual and championship meet competition as voted by team members and coaching staff. The Friars' backstroke powerhouse was a consistent force for Providence in her primary stroke, as well as both the sprint freestyle and butterfly events throughout the season. At the 2022 Big East Championships, Alrutz scored individually in the 100 & 200 Backstrokes, breaking both school records in the process, which she previously held. She also contributed legs of the 200 and 400 Medley Relays and the 200 and 400 Freestyle Relays, which all scored for the Friars.
Sophomore Will Layden (Farmington, Conn.) was honored with The Bowden Award. Named for Horace Bowden '89, this award honors the men's Most Valuable Student-Athlete in dual and championship meet competition, as voted by the coaching staff and team members. Layden completed his second year with the Friars by leading in team scoring for the season. At the 2022 Big East Championships, Layden scored in all three of his individual events and set school records in two, (including the longstanding 100 Freestyle record, which stood for 24 years.) He placed third in the 50 Freestyle, was 9th in the 100 Backstroke and 6th in the 100 Freestyle for the Friars. Layden also helped the Friars in resetting the record board in the 200 & 400 Medley Relays and 200 & 400 Freestyle Relays.
Freshman duo Grace Erickson (Eagan, Minn.) and Ryan Sharp (Mount Pleasant, Texas) were named winners of the O'Neill Family Award. Established in 2008 and named for Head Coach John O'Neill, the O'Neill Family Award honors the most valuable male and female freshmen athletes in meet competitions, as voted on by the team and coaching staff. Both Erickson and Sharp had an immediate impact for the Friars in their events, with Erickson becoming a mainstay in the freestyle and Sharp in the butterfly, freestyle and backstroke events. Erickson snagged points in each of her individual events at Big East, scoring in the 500 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle and 200 Backstroke, while also adding leg of the 800 and 400 Freestyle Relays. Sharp placed third and set a school record in his 100 Butterfly at Big East, as well as grabbed points in the 100 Backstroke before helping the Friars to record-breaking relay swims on the 200 and 400 Medley Relays and the 400 Freestyle Relay.
Sophomore Courtney Reilly (Bedford Hills, N.Y.) was recognized with the Clara Lamore Walker Award, and junior Kevin Hood (Lithonia, Ga.) earned recognition for the second consecutive year with the Jan and Brian Larkin Award. These awards recognize the female and male athletes who have improved the most during the season, as voted on by the team and coaching staff. Reilly's dedication to stroke adjustments in her freestyle yielded her some big drops, and she scored at the Big East Championships in both her 100 Breaststroke and 100 Freestyle as well as being an integral leg on the 200 and 400 Freestyle Relays. Hood continued to drop dramatically in his primary stroke, earning a silver medal in the 100 Breaststroke with a new school record, and tying the school record in the 200 Breaststroke as he scored in the event at the 2022 Championships. Hood continued to represent as the Friar's Breaststroker on both the 200 and 400 Medley Relays, which set school records for the third consecutive year at Big East Championships.
Seniors Kathryn Presley (Avon Lake, Ohio) and Matthew Michaels (East Hanover, N.J.) were honored with the David Hardy Coach's Award. Named for David Hardy '89, this award honors the male and female student-athletes who exhibit those qualities which Hardy brought to the swimming and diving team: loyalty, dedication, good sportsmanship, and outstanding effort in the pool and in the classroom. Presley was a breaststroke stalwart in her career with the Friars, capping it by scoring in the 100 and 200 Breaststroke for her team at the 2022 Big East Championships. Michaels sustained and managed a potentially season-ending injury in his senior year, continuing to compete in his butterfly events for Providence. He posted personal best times and scored in his 100 and 200 Butterfly events at the 2022 Big East Championships. Both student-athletes resolve, leadership, conscientiousness and commitment to their teammates has shone through in their time as Friars.
- GO FRIARS! -
Players Mentioned
Backstroke
/ Swimming and Diving
Freestyle/Backstroke
/ Swimming and Diving
Breastroke
/ Swimming and Diving
Butterfly/IM
/ Swimming and Diving
Breaststroke/IM
/ Swimming and Diving
IM/Freestyle
/ Swimming and Diving
Butterfly
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