St. Cloud State swim and dive team announces 2019-20 team award recipients

SCSU swim and dive MVPs for 2019-20 - Chelsea Gehrke and Matheus Laperriere

St. Cloud State swim and dive team announces 2019-20 team award recipients

5/15/2020 12:37:00 PM | Men's Swim & Dive, Women's Swim & Dive

The St. Cloud State University men's and women's swimming and diving teams recently announced their 2019-20 team award winners during a special virtual award ceremony presentation on May 14.

The Zoom event celebrated the Huskies' success during the 2019-20 season. SCSU won its second consecutive NSIC women's swim and dive championship in 2019-20 and qualified nine student-athletes for the 2020 NCAA DII championships. This marked the fourth time (in the last five NSIC meets) that the Huskies have claimed the league's top spot. The SCSU men's team finished fourth at the 2020 GLIAC championships and qualified one swimmer for the 2020 NCAA II championships

The SCSU men's team MVP for 2019-20 was freshman Matheus Laperriere,(Belo Horizonte, Brazil). He was one of SCSU's top performers in the freestyle, IM and relay events this winter. At the 2020 GLIAC championships, Laperriere placed eight in the 200 IM, fifth in the 200 free, fourth in the 100 free, fourth in the 800 free relay and third in the 400 free relay.

The SCSU women's team MVP for 2019-20 was senior Chelsea Gehrke (Farmington, Minn./H.S.). She earned All-America honors in all four seasons of her collegiate career and gained All-America honors this season in the 100 freestyle, 200 free relay and 200 medley relay. Gehrke qualified for the NCAA championships in the 50 free, 100 free and 200 free events along with being part of the Huskies' 200 free relay and 200 medley relay team that qualified for the NCAA meet in 2020. At the 2020 NSIC meet, Gehrke won the 50 free with a time of 23:39 and the 100 free at 50.98. She placed second at the NSIC meet in the 200 free at 1:52.12.

The team's Husky of the Year award went to senior Lauren Glassbrenner on the women's team and sophomore Parker Kabe on the men's team. Glassbrenner is a senior from Eau Claire (Wisc.) North High School and Kabe is from Buffalo (Minn.) High School.

The Most Improved award for 2019-20 was presented to sophomore Whitney Hanson (Ladysmith, Wisc./Bruce H.S.) on the women's team and sophomore Garrett Alleven (Marion, Kan.) on the men's team. Junior Alexis Burroughs (Ladysmith, Wisc.) and senior Kathryn Stupar (Stevens Point, Wisc./SPASH) on the women's team and junior David Clossey (Ramsey, Minn./Anoka H.S.) and freshman Andres Hernandez Garcia (Barcelona, Spain) on the men's team were selected as their respective team's Hardest Workers.

On the women's team, the Top First Year award went to rookie diver Meredith Matchinsky (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech H.S.) and freshman Alaina Friske (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley H.S.). On the men's team, the Top First Year awar was presented to freshman Abe Townley (White Bear Lake, Minn./H.S.).

SCSU's Diver of the Year award on the women's team went to senior Rebekah Stone (Foley, Minn.) and on the men's team the award was presented to junior Evan Infante (Kenosha, Wisc./Indian Trail H.S.).

The Huskies' also recognized Stone for winning the 2020 NSIC Diver of the Year Award, junior Madison Brinkman (Grey Eagle, Minn./Freeport H.S.) for winning the 2020 NSIC Diver of the Meet Award, Coach Kayla Deters for being named the 2020 NSIC Diving Coach of the Year and Head Coach Jeff Hegle for being named the 2020 NSIC Coach of the Year.