Alaska Swimming Coach & Swimmer of the Year Awards

Alaska Swimming coaches voted, and coaches and swimmers were recognized with annual coach and swimmer of the year awards.  The awards were voted on and announced yesterday at the Alaska Swimming Junior Olympic Championship.

The Northern Lights Swim Club (NLSC) staff was voted the Alaska Swimming Senior Coach of the year which means that Coach Ben Kitchen and Coach Matt Hanley shared the 2009-2010 title.  Together they led a team of 4 boys and 6 girls to Seattle and the 2010 Sectional Championship.  That team placed 20th in a meet with teams from all over the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Hawaii.  NLSC was the highest ranked Alaskan team at that meet.

The Kodiak Kingfisher (KKF) staff was voted the Alaska Swimming Age Group Coach award, resulting in Coach John Lindquist earning that honor for the second straight year.  Kodiak has come to be a prominent team at both the state and regional level by consistently placing in the top 5 in state championships and scoring prodigiously at NW Age Group Sectionals.  His leadership continues to make the Kingfishers a force with which to be reckoned.

Samantha Wicks, of NLSC, earned the female award for the 2nd year in a row based, in large part, on the multiple state records she has set in the last year, and her 6th place finish in the 100 Back at the Sectional Championship this March.

Jeff Frey, of NLSC, won the male honors for his scoring efforts in the 50 Free at last December's USA Swimming Junior Nationals as well as his scoring swims at Sectionals in March.  Jeff was also a member of a record setting 200 Free Relay that smashed the old mark by over a second.

Congrats to Coaches and Swimmers of the Year!