April 8, 2003
The University of Notre Dame men’s swimming and diving team, which finished in fourth place at the 2003 BIG EAST Championship, wrapped up its 2002-03 season with its annual awards banquet on campus Monday night.
Irish head coach Tim Welsh and his team have a number of traditional awards which are voted on by team members and the coaching staff, then handed out at the yearly banquet.
Notre Dame named its captains for the 2003-04 season, selecting Josh Dermott and Matt Obringer to take over for this year’s senior trio of Jason Fitzpatrick, John Hudson and Andy Maggio.
The Meghan Beeler and Colleen Hipp Award, which continues to honor the 1991-92 men’s and women’s swimming teams for their courage, discipline and love for one another displayed during the 1991-92 season was given to freshman Christopher Barnes.
The Dolphin Club presents the Blanchard Award to the swimmer or diver who, by performance, inspiration and leadership exemplifies the personal qualities of former Notre Dame swimmer and 1963-64 Irish captain Charles Blanchard. Seniors Jason Fitzpatrick and John Hudson were selected for the award this year and fit the description laid out for the Blanchard Award – “The recipient(s) should be an outstanding swimmer, able to inspire teammates, a good example through actions, one who thinks of others, one who gives a little bit more, spiritually good, clean cut in appearance, one who mixes well with the entire team and one whose actions speak louder for him.”
The 2003 Most Improved Award was shared by three student-athletes; Doug Bauman, Patrick Davis and Frank Krakowski. The team suggests the nominees to the coaching staff before the final choices are made.
Dermott, one of next year’s captains, also was selected for the Patrick Reilly McManus Captains Award, which is picked out by the team’s current captains. The recipient should be a clutch individual, an outstanding swimmer, a spirited competitor, never awed by circumstances, reliable, cooperative, well-liked, accepted and a hard worker.
The captains award was renamed in 1989 to honor Pat McManus, one of the 1987-88 Irish captains.
Notre Dame’s 2002-03 team MVP, which is given by the Notre Dame National Monogram Club, was handed to Matt Obringer. The Irish also awarded the Knute-Rockne Scholar-Athlete Award to Andy Maggio. Both Maggio and Obringer will be further honored at the 2003 Notre Dame Athletic Department All-Sports Banquet (OSCARS).