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Women's Swimming and Diving VMIKeydets.com

Swimming & Diving Announces 2009-10 Team Awards

LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI swimming & diving programs recently handed out their annual team awards to cadet-athletes for their contributions during the 2009-10 season.

Sophomore James Goodwillie (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) and senior Ateala Tuff (Newnan, Ga./East Coweta) earned MVP honors for the men's and women's squads, respectively.  The men's team Three-Legged Stool Award, given to the cadet-athlete that embodies the three aspects of a VMI education: Athletics, Academics and Military, was awarded to senior Justin Ferrell (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run), while the women's award went to freshman Pin-Fen Chen (Taiwan/Concordia Middle). 

Other winners for the men included sophomores Matt Elliott (Norfolk, Va./Maury) and David Hayes (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) sharing the Most Improved Award, while freshman John Covert (Chester, Va./Homeschool) was named the Hardest Worker.  On the women's side, junior Chelsea Nugent (Glendale, Calif./Flintridge Sacred Heart) earned Most Improved accolades, while Tuff was also named the team's Hardest Worker. Rounding out the awards was senior Paul DeValk (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin), who earned the Comeback of the Year Award.

Goodwillie earned VMI's first-ever podium finish at the CCSA Championships, placing third in the 400 individual medley after breaking the school record with a time of 4:08.75 in the prelims.  The sophomore also broke the school mark in the 200 IM and the 200 back, the latter with a fifth-place finish on the final day of the CCSAs.  After just two seasons on Post, Goodwillie owns four varsity records and four freshman records.

Tuff served as a team captain for the women's side this season while competing in every meet for the Keydets.  At this year's CCSAs, Tuff swam on the 200 medley and 400 medley relays that each broke school records.  In addition, she turned in VMI's top times of the season in the 200, 500, 1000 and 1650 free events.

Ferrell also served as a team captain this season in addition to his role as a member of the Rat Disciplinary Committee.  A Dean's List cadet that has been listed as Distinguished in Academic Merit, Ferrell placed 11th in the 100 breast at this year's CCSAs while also swimming on a school-record 200 free relay and on the 200 medley relay that placed fourth. 

Chen turned in an impressive first year with the women's swimming program, setting new rat records in both the 100 and 200 back events.  The freshman also swam on each of the four varsity relay squads that broke school records and was named to the Dean's List in her first semester on Post.
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Players Mentioned

Pin-Fen Chen

Pin-Fen Chen

Back
Freshman
Chelsea Nugent

Chelsea Nugent

IM
Junior
Ateala Tuff

Ateala Tuff

Free
Senior
John Covert

John Covert

Free
Freshman
Paul DeValk

Paul DeValk

Free
Senior
Matt Elliott

Matt Elliott

Back
Sophomore
Justin Ferrell

Justin Ferrell

Breast
Senior
James Goodwillie

James Goodwillie

IM
Sophomore
David Hayes

David Hayes

Breast
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Pin-Fen Chen

Pin-Fen Chen

Freshman
Back
Chelsea Nugent

Chelsea Nugent

Junior
IM
Ateala Tuff

Ateala Tuff

Senior
Free
John Covert

John Covert

Freshman
Free
Paul DeValk

Paul DeValk

Senior
Free
Matt Elliott

Matt Elliott

Sophomore
Back
Justin Ferrell

Justin Ferrell

Senior
Breast
James Goodwillie

James Goodwillie

Sophomore
IM
David Hayes

David Hayes

Sophomore
Breast