Trinity's Culberson; Colorado College's Howlett selected as SCAC Male Swimmer and Diver of the Year

Trinity's Culberson; Colorado College's Howlett selected as SCAC Male Swimmer and Diver of the Year

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Based on exclusive voting by the head coaches of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, Stephen Culberson of Trinity University was named the league's male Swimmer-of-the-Year, while Austin Howlett of Colorado College was selected the SCAC male Diver-of-the-Year.

For Culberson, it is the second consecutive year he has won the honor while the award for Howlett marks the fourth consecutive year he has earned SCAC Diver-of-the-Year honors.

A senior from Sugar Land, Texas, Culberson wrapped up his storied career by earning All-America honors and breaking numerous SCAC and Trinity records over the past season. A year after winning the national championship in the event, he was second in the 100 freestyle (44.18) at the 2015 NCAA Division III Men's Swimming Championships, tying his own SCAC record in the event. In addition, he was third in the 50 freestyle (20.02), setting a new conference standard in that event.

At the 2015 SCAC Championships, Culberson was named the Swimmer of the Meet for the second straight season, leading Trinity to the team title. He led the Tigers to three SCAC relay victories, including SCAC Meet and SCAC Open records in the 200 freestyle and 200 medley relays. 

Individually, Culberson captured three conference events, winning the 50 freestyle (20.21), the 100 freestyle (44.59), and the 100 butterfly (49.39), giving him eight career individual titles in SCAC meet history (tied for the eighth most). He also broke Trinity swim records in both the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly, and tied his own Tiger record in the 100 freestyle event.

Culberson is the fourth swimmer in the modern SCAC swimming era (1999-present) to win back-to-back Swimmer-of-the-Year honors and the second from Trinity (Ryan Van Der Kar was SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Year in 2002, 2003 and 2004). 

Howlett, a senior from Makawao, Hawaii, won both boards decisively at the SCAC Championships after an undefeated regular season. The victories gave him six career individual wins at the conference championship meet which is tied for the 13th-most in SCAC history. He also broke both school and SCAC records this season and went on to win the 3-meter event at the NCAA Regionals, qualifying him to compete at the NCAA Division III Men's Championships.

At the NCAA meet, Howlett placed eighth in 3-meter diving, earning All-America honors for the third straight year. He finished fifth nationally on the 3-meter board in 2014 and eighth in 2013.  

Howlett is Colorado College's fourth men's diver to earn All-America honors, joining Kris Hammond, Keith Kenner and Marshall Griffith. 

Howlett joins Nate Moch of DePauw University (2000-2003) as the only student-athletes in league history to earn Diver-of-the-Year honors four consecutive years.

In exclusive voting of the league's head coaches that took place at the 2015 SCAC Swimming and Diving Championships, Southwestern University's coaching staff was named the 2015 SCAC Men's Staff of the Year.