Ryan Lochte, Christina Swindle Named 2001-2002 Florida Dairy Farmers Swimmers-of-the-Year

 

GAINESVILLE – Port Orange Spruce Creek senior Ryan Lochte and Miami Gulliver Prep junior Christina Swindle were named the 2001-2002 Florida Dairy Farmers Swimmers-of-the-Year following a final round of balloting by a statewide panel of high school swim coaches.

Lochte, who was earlier named Class 3A’s Boys’ Swimmer-of-the-Year, finished ahead of two other finalists to capture the award honoring the top boys’ swimmer in the state. Swindle, the 1A Girls’ Swimmer-of-the-Year, also beat out two other finalists to garner the top individual swimming award for girls.

Lochte, who earned All-America status, defended his state championships in the 200 and 500-meter freestyles, as well as swimming anchor leg on his school’s state champion 400-meter free relay team. Other boys’ finalists and class winners included: Brian Shaw from Fort Myers in 2A and Jorge Carral from Jacksonville Bolles in 1A.

Swindle, an All-America swimmer, also won the Dairy Farmers girls’ swimming award as a sophomore and continued that on as a junior as she defended her state championships in the 50 and 100-meter freestyles. She broke her own state and national record in the 50-meter preliminaries with a time of 22.39 seconds. Other female finalists included: Sarasota High junior Annie Babicz (3A) and Gainesville High junior Ashley Carusone (2A).

"This is an award that the Florida Dairy Farmers are proud to sponsor each year and it gives us great satisfaction to see athletes such as Ryan and Christina win it," said Michele Cooper, CEO of Dairy Farmers, Inc. "We consider this a very elite honor for our state and we’re confident they will be a wonderful representative of this award."

The Florida Dairy Farmers Sports Awards Program exemplifies Dairy Farmers Inc.’s commitment to the state’s youth. While honoring the state’s top athletes, coaches and scholars in all 20 FHSAA-sanctioned sports, the program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.

Lochte and Swindle will be honored, along with winners in the other 19 high school sports, at the 10th annual "Florida Dairy Farmers Banquet for Champions" June 29, 2002 in Orlando.

Sherwood Watts, Clay Parnell Named 2001-2002 Florida Dairy Farmers Swimming Coaches-of-the-Year

 

Sarasota High’s Sherwood Watts and Lake Brantley’s Clay Parnell were named the 2001-2002 Florida Dairy Farmers Swimming Coaches-of-the-Year following a final round of balloting by a statewide panel of high school swim coaches. Coach Watts was the boys’ Coach-of-the-Year, and Coach Parnell was honored as the girls’ winner.

Coach Watts, who was earlier chosen as the Class 3A Coach-of-the-Year, beat out Punta Gorda Charlotte’s Jeff Cain (2A) and Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest’s Jay Fitzgerald (1A) for the award honoring the top boys’ swimming coach in the state. Sarasota captured its first state title in the sport under Coach Watts, who is in his sixth year at the school.

Coach Parnell, also the 3A Coach-of-the-Year, directed Lake Brantley to its fifth state championship in his 21st year at the school on a team with only one senior to capture Girls’ Coach-of-the-Year honors. Other girls’ coaching finalists included: Fort Myers’ Janeen Overman (2A) and Orlando Lake Highland Prep’s Mike Curley (1A).

"This is an award that the Florida Dairy Farmers are proud to sponsor each year and it gives us great satisfaction to see coaches such as Coach Watts and Coach Parnell win it," said Michele Cooper, CEO of Dairy Farmers, Inc. "We consider this a very elite honor for our state and we’re confident they will be a wonderful representative of this award."

The Florida Dairy Farmers Sports Awards Program exemplifies Dairy Farmers Inc.’s commitment to the state’s youth. While honoring the state’s top athletes, coaches and scholars in all 20 FHSAA-sanctioned sports, the program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.

Coach Watts and Coach Parnell will be honored, along with coaches in the other 19 high school sports, at the 10th annual "Florida Dairy Farmers Banquet for Champions" June 29, 2002 in Orlando.