Ed Brennan Earns SSC Coach of the Year Honor as Five Female Swimmers Honored

ORLANDO, Fla. - Ed Brennan captured the 2013 Sunshine State Conference Women's Swimming Coach of the Year award as five of his swimmers were named to the all-SSC team on Thursday.

Heather Glenday and Alex Hipolito were both named first-team all-SSC performers while teammates Kristine Kassl, Catherine Parker and Erin Plachy earned a spot on the second team.

Florida Southern freshman Alli Crenshaw was named SSC Women's Swimmer and Co-Freshman of the Year. Rollins' Audrey Kula shared Freshman of the Year honors with Crenshaw as Brennan was selected Coach of the Year.

Voting for the SSC Swimmer, Freshman, and Coach of the Year was recently conducted among the league's swimming coaches. The All-SSC Women's Swimming Team was determined by individual points accumulated at the SSC Swimming Championship, which was conducted Feb. 13-16 at the Long Center in Clearwater, Fla. The top eight swimmers, based on points, were named All-SSC First Team, and the next eight swimmers were named All-SSC Second Team.

Named All-SSC First Team were: Lauren Chapple (Nova Southeastern), Kelsey Gouge (Florida Southern), Alli Crenshaw (Florida Southern), Hipolito (Tampa), Lauren Reynolds (Florida Southern), Glenday (Tampa), Kristen Zielinski (Nova Southeastern), and Stephanie Doran (Florida Southern).

Earning All-SSC Second Team honors were: Parker (Tampa), Thalie Carmigniani (Lynn), Erin Black (Nova Southeastern), Audrey Kula (Rollins), Ashley Bransford (Nova Southeastern), Plachy (Tampa), Sara Akoubian (Nova Southeastern), Virginia Summer (Florida Southern), and Kassl (Tampa).

Brennan earns SSC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year honors for the third time after leading his Spartans to their second SSC title in the three years that swimming has been an SSC-sponsored sport. UT also won the inaugural SSC women's swimming crown in 2011. Brennan's squad tallied 892 points at the 2013 SSC Championship to stave off the 2012 champs, Nova Southeastern, by 25 points. The Spartans participated in the NCAA Division II Championship for the 13th consecutive year, where they placed 13th. Six UT women's swimmers earned All-America accolades at the meet. The Spartans won the national title in the 800 freestyle relay, clocking a time of 7:24.70.

2013 ALL-SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE WOMEN'S SWIMMING TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Lauren Chapple, Nova Southeastern, Sophomore
Kelsey Gouge, Florida Southern, Freshman
Alli Crenshaw, Florida Southern, Freshman
Alexandra Hipolito, Tampa, Junior
Lauren Reynolds, Florida Southern, Freshman
Heather Glenday, Tampa, Junior
Kristen Zielinski, Nova Southeastern, Freshman
Stephanie Doran, Florida Southern, Senior

Swimmer of the Year - Alli Crenshaw, Florida Southern
Co-Freshman of the Year - Alli Crenshaw, Florida Southern
Co-Freshman of the Year - Audrey Kula, Rollins
Coach of the Year - Ed Brennan, Tampa

SECOND TEAM
Catherine Parker, Tampa, Junior
Thalie Carmigniani, Lynn, Freshman
Erin Black, Nova Southeastern, Senior
Audrey Kula, Rollins, Freshman
Ashley Bransford, Nova Southeastern, Junior
Erin Plachy, Tampa, Sophomore
Sara Akoubian, Nova Southeastern, Junior
Virginia Summer, Florida Southern, Freshman
Kristine Kassl, Tampa, Senior