ST. PAUL, Minn. – Macalester College swimming and diving head coach Kyllian Griffin was chosen the MIAC Women's Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year, as the conference announced its year-end awards today. First year Skye Schmit (Stillwater, Minn.) also was honored, as she was named the MIAC Women's Swimming & Diving Rookie of the Year.

Griffin, who is in his fifth year at Macalester, guided the Scots to a third-place finish at last weekend's MIAC Championships, the highest finish at the conference meet in the history of the program. The Scots broke 12 school records, won three titles and posted nine All-MIAC performances en route to scoring 563 points last weekend. This year's finish marks the third consecutive year that Macalester has improved in the women's team standings at the MIAC Championships.

Schmit won both the 200-yard freestyle and the 1650-yard freestyle at her first MIAC Championships, becoming the first Macalester women's swimmer to win two MIAC titles at the same Championships since Heather Lendway '06 in 2006. She also placed second in the 500-yard freestyle while breaking school records in those three events plus the 1000-yard freestyle. Earlier today, it was announced that Schmit has been selected to compete at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships in March. Schmit is the inaugural recipient of the MIAC Rookie of the Year award, as the honor was added this season.

Schmit also earned All-MIAC honors (top three finishers at the MIAC Championships) in the 800-yard freestyle relay along with first year Emma Henry (Chesapeake, Va./Oscar Smith), sophomore Natalie Pollock (Madison, Wis./Madison West) and senior Grace Madigan (Middleton, Wis./Middleton). Macalester's 200-yard medley relay team of sophomore Verity Wray-Raabolle (Owatonna, Minn./Bethlehem Academy), first year Izzy Uhlhorn-Thornton (Mill Valley, Calif./Tamalpais), sophomore Olga Merkadeau (Lafayette, Calif./The College Preparatory School) and junior Jocelyn Radke (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished third, while the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Wray-Raabolle, Merkadeau, sophomore Caroline Chapon (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township) and Radke placed second.

Individuals besides Schmit who earned All-MIAC status include Wray-Raabolle, who won the 100-yard backstroke, and Uhlhorn-Thornton, who was second both in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke.

Individuals receiving All-MIAC honorable mention (fourth through sixth place) were Henry and Wray-Raabolle in the 200-yard backstroke, Radke in the 100-yard butterfly, sophomore Olivia Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis./Shorewood) in the 200-yard butterfly, Uhlhorn-Thornton in the 200-yard individual medley, Chapon in the 400-yard individual medley, and sophomore Kate Yehle (Madison, Wis./James Madison Memorial) in the 3-meter diving event.

Relay teams receiving All-MIAC honorable mention for taking fourth place include the 400-yard medley relay of Wray-Raabolle, Uhlhorn-Thornton, Pollock and Radke, and the 400-yard freestyle relay of Henry, Radke, Merkadeau and Schmit.

Click here to view the conference's All-MIAC release.