USA Swimming Names Ryan Lochte Athlete of the Year

After winning five medals, including four gold, at the 2009 FINA World Championships, two-time Olympian Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.) was named USA Swimming’s Athlete of the Year at the U.S Aquatic Sports Banquet on Saturday. World Championship teammate Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md.) took the ConocoPhillips Performance of the Year Award for his dramatic win in the 100m butterfly at World Championships.   

In total, 16 awards were given out at the 2009 USA Swimming Annual Convention. 

Three open water swimmers were recognized with Emily Brunemann (Crescent Springs, Ky.) taking Female Open Water Swimmer of the Year honors. World Championship medalists Andrew Gemmel (Wilmington, Del.) and Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa.) shared the Men’s award. 

In an emotional presentation on Friday evening, the Disability Coach of the Year Award was presented posthumously to Paralympic Coach Jimi Flowers, who died tragically in July. The award was accepted by Jimi’s wife. The award has been re-named to honor the late coach. 

Two other awards were presented in Disability swimming. The Disability Swimming Service Award was presented to Keith Kennedy, while the Trischa L. Zorn Disability Swimmer of the Year Award went to American record-holder Mallory Weggeman.

Three other coaches were honored for their performances in 2009. Longhorn Aquatics’ Eddie Reese was recognized as the American Swim Coaches Association Coach of the Year. From North Baltimore Aquatic Club, Bob Bowman received the Terao Award as World Swimming Coaches’ Association Coach of the Quadrennial, and Mission Viejo skipper Bill Rose was honored as Developmental Coach of the Year. 

The USA Swimming Award, USA Swimming’s most prestigious annual honor, was presented to Sid Cassidy. Cassidy serves as chairman of the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee, and has served on the committee since 1996. Cassidy, who is recognized as a major contributor to the addition of the Open Water 10K to the Olympic program, also served as USA Swimming National Open Water Swimming Team head coach for five years from 1991-1996.  

A complete list of the award winners is below. 
                                                    
Glenn S. Hummer Award                        
Jay Thomas                                  

Established in 1978 and named for an Olympian and Coach, the Glen S. Hummer Award is given annually to the person or group making the greatest contribution to Long Distance Swimming. 

Female Open Water Swimmer of the Year                               
Emily Brunneman                       

Established in 1985, the Open Water Committee Award is presented by the USA Swimming Open Water Swimming Committee to the person or group judged as making a major contribution to open water swimming the previous year. 

Male Open Water Swimmer of the Year                                    
Andrew Gemmel and Fran Crippen

Established in 1984, the Open Water Swimmer of the Year Award is presented by the USA Swimming Open Water Swimming Committee to the swimmer judged as the most outstanding open water swimmer of the previous year. 

Adolph Kiefer Safety Commendation Award                    
Jenny Burgess                                                               

Awarded to an individual or organization for demonstrating outstanding commitment to aquatic safety.  Recipient selected by the USA Swimming Safety Education Committee. 

Disability Swimming Service Award     
Keith Kennedy                               

The Disabled Swimming Service Award is presented to an individual (swimmer, coach, volunteer) who has made significant contributions to competitive swimming for athletes with a disability. Members of the Disabled Swimming Committee nominate candidates at the mid-year committee meeting. The vote, by all members of the Disabled Swimming Committee, also takes place at the mid-year meeting. This award originated in the year 2000.

James Raymond (Jimi) Flowers 
Disability Committee Coach of the Year Award                    
Jimi Flowers (Accepted by Sue Flowers)                      

This award was established in 2009. It honors coaches with outstanding inclusion of swimmers with a disability under the nominee’s direct coaching assignment and / or promotion of swimmers with a disability and disability swimming within the nominee’s sphere of influence.  Contributions to inclusion may include club, LSC, national, or international examples. This demonstration of inclusion and influence should be evident as part of the nominee’s ongoing coaching philosophy. 

Disability Swimmer of the Year Award 
(Trischa L. Zorn Award)
Mallory Weggeman
                                                                                 
The Trischa L. Zorn Award is presented to the swimmer (or relay team) with a disability with the most outstanding performances during the previous year. Anyone present at the USA Swimming Disability Championships may nominate a swimmer for the award. A screening committee comprised of a few members of the Disabled Swimming Committee selects finalists. The chairperson(s) of the Disabled Swimming Committee prepares a ballot, then all members of the Disabled Swimming Committee vote to determine the winner. The vote is conducted by mail. This award originated in the year 2000.  

Diversity Inclusion Award                   
Arthur Lopez                                          

Established in 2006, the Diversity Inclusion Award is presented to the person or group who has positively heightened the awareness of inclusion efforts through various modes and media resulting in the increase and successful participation of currently underrepresented groups in the sport.   

Kenneth J. Pettigrew Award               
John Wilson                                     

This award was created to honor Ken Pettigrew, a swimming official who devoted over 30 years to the sport of swimming.  Each year the recipient is chosen by the USA Swimming Officials Committee.  

ASCA Coach of the Year Award        
Eddie Reese                         

Awarded this year at the ASCA Convention in Fort Lauderdale.

The ASCA Award is 47 years old. The first one awarded was to James "Doc" Counsilman in 1961. It honors the American Coach who has done the most in the past 12 months to improve American International Swimming Performance.  It is annually presented at the ASCA Clinic in early September.  Twice in the past, it has been presented at the USAS convention, due to the timing of the Olympic Games, in 1988 and 2000. 

TERAO Award                                    
Bob Bowman                                               

Presented by the World Swimming Coaches Association to the Coach of the Quadrennial.

Developmental Coach of the Year Award                        
Bill Rose                                                      

The Developmental Coach of the Year Award is for coaches who develop athletes a step or two away from major national or international success.  The winner of the award is the coach who places the most swimmers on the National Junior Team. 

Athletes Appreciation Award              
Janet Evans                                      

Conceived by the USA Swimming Athletes Committee in 1983, the Athletes Appreciation Award recognizes the individual or organization perceived by the committee to have contributed most significantly to the Athletes Movement. 

ConocoPhillips Performance Award  
Michael Phelps                                

This award is presented to an American swimmer who gives the single most outstanding performance during the year.  This award is voted on by selected coaches, athlete representatives and members of the swimming media.

USA Swimming Award                       
Sid Cassidy

The USA Swimming Award was established in 1981 to recognize exceptional contributions to the sport of swimming.  The award is presented each year to an individual or organization selected for financial, material or service contributions to USA Swimming.  The award is a two-thirds life-size bronze sculpture of a swimmer mounted over a wave of marble.

Athlete of the Year                 
Ryan Lochte                                                              
The Swimmer of the Year Award is presented to the athlete judged by the USA Swimming House of Delegates as the most outstanding swimmer of the previous year.