DENVER – The University of Denver men's and women's swimming and diving programs head into the athletic department's 10^th year in the Summit League coming off of conference titles 16 and 17 to highlights the 2021-22 season.
 
ARKY QUALIFIES FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP:
Junior Natalie Arky qualified for the 2022 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, selected to compete in the 100 fly, 100 back and 200 back. Arky's performances led a Denver team that combined for 13 NCAA B Standards.
 
2021-22 NCAA B Standards
Women:
Natalie Arky – 100 Backstroke – 52.96
Natalie Arky – 200 Backstroke – 1:53.37
Natalie Arky – 100 Butterfly – 53.27
Aysia Leckie – 50 Freestyle – 22.66
Jessica Maeda – 100 Breaststroke – 1:01.74
Jessica Maeda – 200 Breaststroke – 2:13.57
 
Men:
Riley Babson – 1650 Freestyle – 15:25.35
Brandon Chapman – 200 Butterfly – 1:46.21
Marco Nosack – 200 Breaststroke – 1:58.41
Marco Nosack – 400 Individual Medley – 3:50.83
Kieran Watson – 1650 Freestyle – 15:25.03
Dylan Wright – 200 Backstroke – 1:44.27
 
INKING NAMES IN THE RECORD BOOK:
Denver's swimmers in 2021-22 put 67 new times in the All-Time Denver top-10s that encompasses all the events.
 
Zora Opalka set a new scoring record on the 1-meter board with a 296.33, one of five women's times/scores that landed in the top-three of the all-time top-10 record book.
 
On the men's side, Ammar Hassan set a new 1-meter board record with a 396.60 and put up the second-highest score in program history on the 3-meter board (396.60).
 
DENVER ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT AWARDS:
Maggie McHugh was named the University of Denver's 2021-22 Women's Comeback Player of the Year for her performances last season. McHugh was in the top-six on the team in the 50 breast, 100 breast and 200 IM.
 
WORK IN THE CLASSROOM:
Denver produced nine CSCAA Scholar All-American Honorable Mention recipients. As a team, the women's program earned a 3.69 and the men's program combined for a 3.59.
 
SUMMIT LEAGUE AWARDS:
The Pioneer women earned 12 individual victories and five relay wins at the 2022 Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships to claim their ninth-straight team title.
 
DU's men won 10 individual races and two relays to bring home
 
Denver swept the coaches awards at the 2021-22 Summit League Championship with both head coach Alicia Hicken-Franklin and diving coach Aaron D'Addario sweeping the coach of the year and diving coach of the year honors. In addition, Denver's student-athletes combined for the five awards below.
 
Dylan Wright – Men's Swimming MVP of the Championship and Newcomer of the Championship
Aysia Leckie – Women's Swimming MVP of the Championship
Jessica Maeda – Women's Newcomer of the Championship
Ammar Hassan – Men's Diving MVP of the Championship.
 
Hassan set Summit League Championship records on the 1-meter and 3-meter boards.
 
TEAM AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Following the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, the Pioneers announced their team awards, which are listed below.
 
Brad Busse MVP Award | Ammar Hassan
MVP Award | Natalie Arky
Newcomer Award | Jessica Maeda
Newcomer Award | Marco Nosack
Hardest Worker Award | Will Melsha
Hardest Worker Award | Nathan Cox
Hardest Worker Award | Aysia Leckie
Hardest Worker Award | Izzy Smith
Hardest Worker Award | Kaelyn Hinesley
Most Improved Award | Natalie Arky
Most Improved Award | Erika Remington
Most Improved Award | Zora Opalka
Most Improved Award | Kelby Modene
Strength and Power Award | Olivia Gordon
Strength and Power Award | Sophia Bricker
Strength and Power Award | Nathan Cox
Strength and Power Award | Alex Blom
Dawn Shaner Most Inspirational Award | Angie Lindsay 
Jim Bain Most Inspirational Award | Riley Babson
 
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