COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association (CSCAA) named five members of the Penn State men's swimming & diving team – Michael Daly, Gabe Castano, Will Roberson, Austin Wilson and Juliusz Goisiniecki – and two members of the women's team – Maddie Hart and Marie Schobel - to its 2019-20 All-America team Wednesday.
All seven were NCAA Championships qualifiers, but the championships were canceled due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
On the men's side, the five NCAA Championships qualifiers mark the Nittany Lions' most first-team All-Americans in a single season since 2013 when five individuals - Nate Savoy, James Wilson, Sean Grier, Shane Austin and John Hauser - all earned All-America honors. Penn State is enjoying its longest stretch of individual success with a total of 28 first-team All-America honors over the last eight years, and at least one All-American in six out of the last eight seasons.
For the women, the two backstrokers become the seventh and eighth women's swimmers to receive All-American honors for Penn State since 2014 and represent the team's most first-team honorees in a single-season since Alyson Ackman, Carolyn Fittin, Kaitlin Jones and Caitlyn Karr all earned All-America honors in 2015.
Both the Penn State men's and women's teams have had All-Americans in consecutive years now. Hector Garcia Boissier earned a silver medal diving at the 2019 NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships, while Ally McHugh earned silver in 2018 and gold in 2019 at the NCAA Women's Championships.
Castano was looking to shine at the NCAA Championships after swimming a 19.06 in the 50 freestyle at the Big Ten Championships in February to win silver and rank fifth in the nation. In Penn State history, the time only ranks second to Olympian Shane Ryan (19.03). Castano was also looking to lead the 200 freestyle relay team.
Daly qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 200 back and 400 IM. His 200 back time of 1:40.63 earned him silver at the Big Ten Championships and ranked him 16th in the nation, while he holds the school record in the 400 IM with his personal-best time of 3:43.00.
The 200 free relay team of Roberson, Wilson, Goisiniecki, and Castano was chosen after swimming an A-cut time of 1:17.04 at the Last Chance Meet following Big Tens to break their own school record. They previously broke the school record at the Big Ten Championships after swimming a time of 1:17.38.
Hart, the senior from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, had a successful final season of her career with personal bests in three races and a school record in the 200 back (1:53.37) that she achieved at the Big Ten Championships in February. Her senior season swims also earned her the fifth-fastest time in the 100 back (52.71) in Penn State history and second fastest in the 100 fly (51.64); all NCAA B-Cut times. Hart qualified for NCAA Championships in the 100 fly, 100 back, and 200 back, ranking highest nationally in the 100 fly at 16th. Schobel was set to join her in the 100 back for her first NCAA Championship appearance.
The sophomore from Sea Girt, New Jersey, ranks fourth-fastest all-time for Penn State in the 100 back (52.69) and second all-time in the 200 back (1:55.06). Schobel earned an NCAA bid for this season in the 100 back with her ninth-place finish at Big Ten Championships in addition to earning ninth place in the 200 back, totaling 40 points for Penn State and B-Cut times in both races.
Daly, Castano and Hart were looking to make their second NCAA Championships appearances, while the other four were set to compete for the first time.
The cancellation of the NCAA Championship led the selection committee to adjust its criteria for All-America selections. Typically, those who place in the top eight at the NCAA Championships earn All-American honors. The result was an unprecedented number of selections in what is largely acknowledged as unprecedented circumstances. Greg Earhart, Executive Director explained that the Board of Directors sought to not penalize any student-athlete who had not had the opportunity to compete for a spot on the All-American team. "Our sport is replete with previously-unheralded swimmers and divers who have gone on not just to All-America honors, but also to national championships and Olympic Team spots."
This isn't the first time the association adjusted All-America criteria. The first CSCAA All-America team was published in 1924, thirteen years before the first men's NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship The first women's All-America team was published in 1975, seven years prior to the first NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championship. During much of that time, the team was selected by a panel of coaches. In 1985 the honor was standardized around the NCAA Championships with the top eight finalists receiving first-team recognition and consolation finalists being named Honorable Mention.
Check GoPSUSports.com for coverage of the Penn State swimming and diving teams during the season. Follow the team on Twitter at @PennStateSWIM, on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstateswimminganddiving, and Instagram on @pennstateswimdive.