FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 8, 2008
Contact: Dwayne Hanberry, SCAC Interim Commissioner

Cook and Doogan of DePauw named SCAC Swimmers-of-the-Year;
Cook and Emerick of Trinity selected SCAC Divers-of-the-Year

SUWANEE, Ga. – Based on exclusive voting by the head coaches of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), John Cook and Katie Doogan – both of DePauw University – were named the league’s male and female Swimmer-of-the-Year, respectively. In that same voting, Ryan Cook and Hayley Emerick – both of Trinity University – were selected as the SCAC male and female Diver-of-the-Year, respectively.

DePauw’s Cook, a sophomore from Leawood, Kan., finished second in three different individual events at the SCAC Championships (50, 100 and 200 free) and was also part of the Tigers’ all-conference relay teams in the 200 free, 400 free, 800 free and 400 medley.

At the NCAA Championships, Cook swam with the 200-yard freestyle and 400-yard freestyle relay teams that both earned all-America honors. The 200-yard team finished sixth nationally while the 400-yard team finished with a fifth-place showing in a school-record time of 3:02.41. Individually, Cook earned all-America honors with a seventh-place showing in the 100 freestyle in 45.24 seconds. He broke the school record in the prelims with a swim of 45.17 seconds. The sophomore also earned honorable mention all-America honors with an 11th place finish in the 50 free with a school-record time of 20.53 as DePauw finished 11th as a team at the championships.

DePauw’s Doogan, a senior from Troy, Mich., won three individual events at the SCAC Championships (200 and 400 individual medley and 200 back) and was part of three all-conference relay teams – including the 200 free and 400 free relay teams which both took top honors. The 200 free relay team set a new conference mark with a finishing time of 1:36.97. The 10 individual titles that Doogan won in her four-year SCAC championship career is tied for the second-most in league history.

At the NCAA Championships, Doogan swam with the 200-yard freestyle relay which finished fifth in 1:36.62 to earn all-America honors. As a member the 400 medley relay, she also earned all-America distinction with a sixth-place finish in 3:55.80. As a member of the 200-yard medley relay, Doogan and her teammates earned all-America honors after finishing fourth in 1:47.25. In the prelims, the 400 freestyle relay established a school record and qualified for the consolation finals with a ninth-place showing in 3:31.98. Doogan's leadoff swim of the relay of 52.99 broke the Tigers' 100 free record. That night, the 400 free relay team broke their school record set just hours earlier by finishing 10th in 3:31.48 and earning honorable mention all-America accolades. Individually, Doogan earned honorable mention all-America honors in the 200 individual medley in 2:07.72 and the 400 individual medley in 4:28.79 – helping the Tigers to a second-best in program history ninth-place finish.

Trinity’s Cook, a senior from Katy, Texas, earned All-SCAC and All-American honors during each of his four seasons in San Antonio. At this past year’s championship, Cook swept the 1-meter and 3-meter competition, scoring a SCAC-record 512 points on the 1-meter board and 519.30 on the 3-meter (second-best in SCAC history). Over his career, Cook won five of the eight diving events in which he participated at the SCAC championships and finished second in the other three.

At the NCAA meet, Cook earned honorable mention all-America honors in the 1-meter board and all-America honors in the 3-meter board with a seventh-place finish.

Trinity’s Emerick, a first-year diver from Portland, Texas, set new SCAC high marks in both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards, posting winning scores of 437.65 and 472.10 respectively in the events at the 2008 conference championships. It is the third consecutive year a Trinity diver has swept both diving platforms at the SCAC championships – following fellow teammate and all-American Lauren Walstad who won both events in 2006 and 2007.

Emerick went on to finish ninth in both the 1-meter and 3-meter board at the NCAA Championships, earning honorable mention all-American honors in both events.

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