MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference is pleased to announce the 2023 women’s swimming individual awards. Emily Trieschmann, Emilia Ronningdal, and Ben Hewitt from Nova Southeastern University earn Swimmer of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year honors, respectively. It marks the second time the Sharks have swept the SSC women’s swimming individual awards.
League coaches vote on the SSC Swimmer, Freshman, and Coach of the Year awards following the NCAA Division II National Championship. All-SSC swimmers were selected earlier this season following the conference championship meet held February 15-19 at the Long Center in Clearwater.
Trieschmann earns Swimmer of the Year accolades after winning three individual and two relay national championships for NSU in 2023. The sophomore is the sixth Shark named Swimmer of the Year, second consecutive1. Her NCAA championship performance also lifted NSU to a national team title, the first for the SSC in women’s or men’s swimming.
The Wellington, Florida native competed in four individual events and three relays at the 2023 Division II NCAA Championship. Individually, she won titles in the 500 free, 1000 free, and 1650 free, becoming the first SSC athlete to win three titles at one championship. Trieschmann set the NCAA overall and meet records in the 1000 free. Additionally, she owns the SSC overall record in the 500 free and conference meet records in the 500 free, 1000 free, and 1650 free. As a relay swimmer, she led NSU to national championship gold in the 800 Medley Relay and 200 Medley Relay. Trieschmann and teammates now own the NCAA, championship meet, SSC, and conference meet records in the 800 free relay. SSC Records / Top Times | Women’s Swimmers and Coaches of the Year
Ronnindal becomes the fourth Shark to earn SSC Women’s Swimming Freshman of the Year honors2. The product of Hassleholm, Sweden, claimed the individual national title in the 200 IM and 800 free relay at the NCAA Championship. She finished fourth, eighth, and ninth in the 200 breast, 400 free relay, and 100 breast, respectively. The Swede set the SSC overall 200 IM record this season, the conference meet record in the 200 free relay, and helped NSU break the NCAA overall and meet record in the 800 free relay.
Hewitt three-peats as SSC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year, earning the award for a league-leading fifth time. He piloted NSU to the conference’s first national championship in swimming and the seventh women’s league championship in program history. With Hewitt’s guidance, the Shark swimmers won 11 national titles at the NCAA championship, broke two NCAA Division II records, and set six conference records. Hewitt was also named the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Coach of the Year.
