Irish Announce 2025-26 Annual Program Awards – Notre Dame Preventing Irish – Official Athletics Web site

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, Notre Dame swimming and diving celebrated the yr’s accomplishments with its annual awards.

The following student-athletes had been acknowledged: 

Don Casey MVP Award — Carli Cronk, Grace Courtney, Marcus Reyes-Gentry & Daniel Knapp

Cronk and Courtney each earned the Most Valuable honor for the second straight yr. Cronk made the NCAA Championships for the second time in as many tries and earned a spot on the CSCAA All-America Second Team in each the 200 fly and 800 free relay. After breaking the varsity information within the 500 free and 400 IM final season, Cronk added the 200 fly to her resume this yr (1:52.59). 

Courtney made NCAA Championships for the third time, competing in each the 1-meter and the 3-meter this season. She posted a standout efficiency at ACC Championships within the occasions, taking fifth within the 3-meter (294.80) and sixth within the 1-meter (284.50). Throughout the course of the season, the senior gained 5 particular person occasions and was named ACC Diver of the Week on Oct. 28. 

This season, Reyes-Gentry broke college information within the 50 and 100 again (20.56/44.07) and earned a spot on the CSCAA All-America First Team within the latter as nicely. He positioned seventh within the nation at NCAA Championships within the 100 again together with twenty third within the 100 fly. 

Knapp earned a spot on the CSCAA All-America Second Team this yr after ending thirteenth within the 3-meter at NCAA Championships (371.70). A senior, Knapp gained three particular person occasions in twin meets this yr and positioned fifth within the 3-meter on the ACC Championships (362.50).

Most Improved — Lainey Mullins, Claire Feick, Gus MacDonald & Matthew Wong

Mullins made an enormous leap throughout her junior season, qualifying for her first NCAA Championships within the 200 fly. She swam finest instances within the 200 fly (1:56.04), 500 free (4:44.78) and 200 IM (2:01.29) over the course of the season. In program historical past, Mullins now ranks sixth all-time within the 500 free and fifth all-time within the 200 fly.

Feick recorded her finest end thus far at ACC Championships this yr, ending ninth within the 3-meter (282.65). She additionally recorded eight top-eight finishes in twin meets. 

MacDonald posted a plethora of finest instances via the yr, notching private information within the 500 free (4:20.51), 200 breast (1:56.36) and 400 IM (3:44.73). His 200 breast now ranks ninth in class historical past, and he’s fifth within the 400 IM, an occasion through which he additionally completed thirteenth at ACC Championships.

While he’s only a freshman, Wong made strides all through the season. He ended his twin meet season with a win within the 1-meter (337.43) at Kentucky, and he competed in each the 1-meter (225.85) and 3-meter (293.10) at ACC Championships.

Freshman of the Year — Emily Hamill, Ellie Lee & Jackson Armour

Three Irish confirmed out of their inaugural campaigns, with Hamill and Armour each making NCAA Championships. A backstroker, Hamill swam the 100 and 200 again at NCAA Championships, and he or she ranks third all-time in program historical past within the 100 again (52.41) and fifth all-time within the 200 again (1:53.89). Her 500 free time of 4:45.46 is tenth in program historical past as nicely, and he or she was part of record-breaking 400 free and 400 medley relays this season. 

Armour now ranks second within the 100 breast (51.77) and fifth within the 200 breast (1:53.80) in program historical past, and he competed on the 200 and 400 medley relays at NCAA Championships. The rookie gained 4 particular person occasions in the course of the common season and posted top-16 finishes at ACC Championships in each the 100 and 200 breast.

In the diving nicely, Lee competed in eight meets and posted a pair of top-24 finishes within the 3-meter (241.45) and the platform (175.66) at ACC Championships. She earned her first collegiate victory on the Tim Welsh Classic, putting first within the 1-meter (312.25).

Weight Room Warrior — Hollie Widdows, Claire Feick, Gus MacDonald & Daniel Knapp

Widdows, a sophomore, went finest instances within the 50, 100 and 200 free (22.45/48.12/1:47.04) together with the 100 fly this yr (52.95). She now holds the varsity file within the 100 free and ranks tenth within the 50 free and eighth within the 100 fly. 

Feick and MacDonald’s work within the weight room clearly paid off, as they had been named Most Improved above. Knapp was additionally this yr’s diving MVP, and he was named to the CSCAA All-America Second Team. 

Reaney Award — Grace Brenneman

This honor is given to a feminine swimmer who exemplifies what it means to be a champion within the pool and within the classroom, as a teammate and in life. It is called after Emma Reaney, who was the primary NCAA champion for Notre Dame swimming and set an American file within the course of.

A senior chief and native product from Elkhart, Ind., Brenneman gained the Reaney Award for the second time in her Irish profession (2023-24) and has been nothing however a optimistic affect on this system. A dash specialist, Brenneman holds this system file within the 50 meter free and was a four-year member of the ACC Championships Team. She will stay in South Bend after commencement to pursue a job in improvement at Notre Dame. 

Blanchard Award — Dillon Edge

An award given yearly to the swimmer or diver who by efficiency, inspiration and management has exemplified the private qualities of former Notre Dame swimmer and Irish captain Charles W. Blanchard.

Named a captain in his last season in South Bend, Edge posted a historic Notre Dame profession. The winner of the 2024 Captains Award and Knute Rockne Scholar-Athlete Award, Edge was a 2024 NCAA qualifier and ranks second in program historical past within the 200 IM (1:43.63). He is a two-time member of the All-ACC Academic Team as nicely. Following commencement, Edge will transfer to Chicago to work for LaSalle Investment Management. 

Beeler Hipp Award — Becky Rentz, Brady Calkins & Edward Nyman

To honor the 1991-92 males’s and ladies’s swim groups for his or her braveness, self-discipline and love for each other displayed in the course of the season, this award is given yearly to an impressive freshman who finest exemplifies the vitality, competitiveness and love for Notre Dame proven by Meghan Beeler and Colleen Hipp.

Rentz earned a spot competing on relays on the NCAA Championships and was named to the CSCAA All-America Second Team within the 800 free relay. Part of the crew that broke the varsity file within the 400 free relay, Rentz additionally ranks third in class historical past within the 200 free (1:45.16). 

Calkins competed till the very finish for Notre Dame this season, notching a private finest within the 200 again on the Louisville Last Chance Meet in March (1:44.05).

Nyman was a crew participant all season, even touring to Zone C Championships with the crew in March to volunteer on deck. He competed in six meets all year long, and his finest end was a fifth-place exhibiting at Miami (FL) (157.65).

Rockne Scholar-Athlete Award — Mary Codevilla, Katie Raby, Jeremy Kelly & Ben Nguyen

Named in honor of legendary Notre Dame soccer coach Knute Rockne, this honor is offered by the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley to a student-athlete who excels each academically and athletically.

Both Codevilla and Raby made the ACC Championships this yr and earned top-24 finishes. Codevilla positioned 18th within the 100 breast (1:00.92) and was a part of the record-breaking 400 medley relay that positioned seventh. Raby took 14th within the platform (202.50) and twenty second within the 1-meter (226.40). In the classroom, Codevilla, a senior, will earn her diploma this spring in science pre-professional, whereas Raby is majoring in utilized computational math and statistics. 

Kelly and Nguyen each made NCAA Championships this yr and had been ACC Championships finalists. Kelly broke the varsity file within the 200 IM at ACC’s (1:42.46), ending eighth. Nguyen took seventh within the 3-meter (330.65). Kelly is majoring in laptop science and was named a College Sports Communicators Academic All-America finalist, and Nguyen will earn his diploma in science pre-professional in May. 

Captains Award — Gretchen Lueking & Jeremy Kelly

The honor is given yearly by crew captains and graduating seniors in reminiscence of former Irish captain Patrick Reilly McManus to the person who finest exemplifies the time period teammate and represents the long run management and imaginative and prescient of our program.

This yr’s winners of the Captains Award are honored for his or her excessive character. Lueking and Kelly, a senior and sophomore, respectively, can all the time be discovered cheering on their teammates, offering help, and serving as exemplary representatives of Notre Dame. 

Tim Welsh Award — Carlie McGregor

Named for legendary Notre Dame coach Tim Welsh, this award is given to a buddy of this system who has made a big contribution to the success of Irish student-athletes.

Carlie serves because the Thomas and Julie Carey Sports Psychologist and works with the swimming and diving applications, amongst others. 

Performances of the Year — 

• Carli Cronk, Emily Hamill, Becky Rentz and Hollie Widdows at ACC Championships —
  • The quartet posted a brand new college file time of three:13.04 within the 400 free relay, ending seventh. As a bunch, the underclassmen made seven finals over the course of the meet highlighted by Cronk’s fourth-place end within the 200 fly.
• Grace Courtney at ACC Championships
  • The senior positioned fifth within the 3-meter (294.80) and sixth within the 1-meter (284.50) on the meet, posting a pair of top-eight finishes for the second time in her profession.
• Marcus Reyes-Gentry at NCAA Championships
  • With a 100 again time of 44.14, the senior earned CSCAA All-America First Team standing. He additionally went 44.07 in prelims, setting this system file, and completed twenty third within the 100 fly (45.23).
• Daniel Knapp at NCAA Championships
  • Knapp completed thirteenth within the 3-meter (371.70), incomes a spot on the CSCAA All-America Second Team.