Jimi Kiner, Nick Cavic Receive Major SSC Awards
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference has announced the 2026 men's swimming individual awards. Lynn's Maurice Grabowski was named the Swimmer of the Year, sponsored by Athletic Solutions. While NCAA Division II National Champions Nick Cavic and Jimi Kiner from the University of Tampa earn Freshman of the Year, sponsored by Athletic Solutions, and Coach of the Year honors, respectively.
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, which was held February 11-15 at Florida Aquatics Swimming Training in Ocala.
2026 SSC Men's Swimming All-Conference Awards
Cavic is honored as Freshman of the Year following a solid season for Tampa, which resulted in a sweep of conference and national titles. The Berkley, Massachusetts native, capped the season with CSCAA First-Team All-America honors in the 200 IM, 200 Fly, and the 200/400/800 Free Relays. He added Second-Team All-American honors in the 400 IM. The All-SSC First Team swimmer was the only underclassmen on the list. He becomes the fourth Spartan to be named Freshman of the Year, joining Barnabas Fluck (2022-23), Sean Rodney (2016-17), and Brad Hines (2010-11). It is the third time the Spartans have swept both Freshman of the Year awards in the same season.
SSC Records / Top Times | Men's Swimmers and Coaches of the Year
Kiner four-peats as SSC Coach of the Year by a vote of his peers after leading the Spartans' program to their second NCAA Division II title in the last three years. The team also won their fourth consecutive conference championship. It is just the second time Tampa has swept both titles in the same season. Under Kiner's leadership, 13 Tampa men won a combined 51 All-America honors. UT captured the conference's top time in 10 events this season. At the national championship meet the freestyle relay teams stole the show sweeping all three gold medals in the events. Kiner now owns five SSC Coach of the Year awards and remains the first UT coach to win the accolade in men's swimming.
Grabowski takes SSC Swimmer of the Year accolades after being named CSCAA National Swimmer of the Year following a dominant performance at the NCAA championship. The German won four individual national titles and one relay national championship. Grabowski set conference records in all four of the events he won at the national championship and helped Lynn set a new Division II record in the 200-medley relay. Grabowski is the first Fighting Knight to be named Swimmer of the Year.
The senior took home individual national titles in the 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Back, and 100 Fly. Grabowski hit personal best times and new SSC records in all four events. At the conference meet he was the highest point getter and won four individual events, two relays, and placed runner up in a third. He tied for most points at the NCAA championship meet. Lynn finished third at the conference meet and fifth overall at the national championship.