DeGrazia Named GNAC Swimmer of the Year
BOSTON, Mass. - Elms College senior women's swimmer Devon DeGrazia (Westport, Mass.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Swimmer of the Year as announced by the organization on Tuesday.
DeGrazia, who began her collegiate career as the GNAC Rookie of the Year in 2010-11, has since been named the GNAC Swimmer of the Year for three consecutive years. She capped her collegiate career by being named the swimmer of the meet following the three-day New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association (NEISDA) Championship this past February.
During the 2013-14 campaign, DeGrazia helped the Blazers to a 5-8 overall record in dual meets and a fourth place finish at the GNAC Championship in December. At the season-ending NEISDA Championship, she helped pace Elms to a 15th place overall finish.
At the GNAC Championship, DeGrazia won the 500-yard freestyle (5:29.37), finished second in the 200-yard freestyle record (1:59.70), and won the 1000-yard freestyle (11:14.56) – besting the old meet record by 14 seconds and winning the race by over 35 seconds.
At the NEISDA Championship, DeGrazia placed second in the 500-yard freestyle (5:13.56) and earned an A-cut for the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship. She also placed third in the 200-yard freestyle (1:58.93) and second in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 18:11.10.
DeGrazia, who was named GNAC Swimmer of the Week five times in 2013-14, graduates as the school record holder in all of the freestyle events as well as the 50 backstroke events and 50 butterfly events.
Swimmer of the Year
Devon DeGrazia – Elms
Rookie of the Year
Shylee Stewart – Simmons
Coach of the Year
Mindy Williams – Simmons
Team Sportsmanship
Simmons
Sportsmanship Team
Kelly Gilhooly Senior Elms Bloomfield, Conn.
Casey Pray Senior Husson Bangor, Maine
Giovanna Stein Senior Norwich Sao Paulo, Brazil
Amanda Iandoli Sophomore Regis Mansfield, Mass.
Samantha Nichols Sophomore Saint Joseph (CT) Norwich, Conn.
Brooke Huberdeau Sophomore Saint Joseph's (ME) North Andover, Mass.
Joleigh Ferro Junior Simmons Pittsfield, Mass.
