LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Southwestern University's Jesse Stovall and Trinity University's Katarina Partalas were named the league's female Swimmer and Diver-of-the-Year, respectively, based on exclusive voting by the head coaches of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. 2021 All-SCAC Women's Swim/Dive Team
Stovall, a junior from Nacogdoches, Texas, won all three of her events at last month's SCAC Swimming and Diving Championships, taking first place honors in the 50 free, the 100 free and the 100 fly. Her victories in both the 50 free and the 100 free represent her third consecutive victories in each event, making her just the second woman to win the 50 free three times and the fourth woman to win the 100 free three or more times. She is the only female swimmer in league history to have three or more career wins in both events. Stovall's victory in the 100 fly was her second career win in the event (she won as a freshman in 2019), giving her eight career individual titles - good for sixth all-time in league history. She was named Co-Swimmer-of-the-Meet, along with Trinity's Mabel Fowler, at the 2021 Championships, the second time in her career she has received tha honor. Stovall received All-America recognition in both the 50 and 100 free a year ago after qualifying for both events prior to the national championship meet being cancelled.
Stovall's selection marks the second time a Southwestern swimmer has been voted SCAC Female Swimmer of the Year honors. Her teammate Rehgan Hartsell earned top honors following the 2018-19 season.
Trinity's Partalas, a junior from San Antonio, Texas, claimed gold in both the 1-meter and 3-meter board competitions at last month's SCAC championship meet, earning SCAC Diver-of-the-Meet honors in the process. The victory on the low board represented her second consecutive win in that event at the championships, making her the first repeat winner on the 1-meter board since Trinity's Sarah Kate Mrkonich took top honors for three straight years (2015-2017). She currently owns two of the five top scores in SCAC championship meet history on the 1-meter board, including this year's winning score of 482.80 which sits fourth all-time. Partaslas received All-America recognition for both the 1-meter and 3-meter board a year ago after qualifying for both events prior to the national championship meet being cancelled.
Partalas' selection as Diver of the Year marks the 16th consecutive a Trinity female student-athlete has taken home the top honor.
Additionally, the Trinity University staff - led by fourth-year head coach Scott Trompeter, along with assistant coach John Ryan, assistant coach Kimberly Jones, and diving coach Stan Randall - earned SCAC Women's Coaching Staff-of-the-Year honors. It marks the fourth consecutive year that Trompeter and his staff have been so honored after taking over the TU program prior to the 2017-18 season.
