Acadia's Liem and Harrison-Murray honoured with AUS Major Awards

HALIFAX, N.S. - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2018-19 AUS swimming major award winners as selected by the conference's head coaches. 

All of this season's AUS major award winners were announced during today's awards luncheon hosted by Dalhousie University at the University Club in Halifax, N.S.  

Acadia's Brett Liem of Bedford, N.S., and Dalhousie's Isabel Sarty of Halifax, N.S. were named the male and female AUS swimmers of the year Friday afternoon. 

This marks the second consecutive year Liem has earned top conference honours. He was named swimmer of the meet at last year's AUS championship. The third-year science student was also named AUS rookie of the year in his inaugural season (2016-17). 

This season, he earned 10 first-place individual finishes in four invitational meets—three in the 50m butterfly event, two in the 50m freestyle, two in the 100m freestyle, two in the 50 breaststroke and one in the 100m breaststroke event.

Dalhousie's Sarty earned both swimmer and rookie of the meet at the 2018 AUS championship.  

In four invitational meets this season, she earned 12 first-place finishes in individual events—predominantly in freestyle events—along with seven first-place finishes as a member of Dalhousie relay teams.

Mount Allison's Noah Mascoll-Gomes (St. John's, Antigua) and Dalhousie's Reagan Crowell (Lakeville, N.B.) earned the male and female AUS rookie of the year awards.  

Mascoll-Gomes is the first-ever swimmer from a Mount Allison program to capture the AUS rookie of the year award. After joining the Mounties swim team in January, he earned three first-place finishes and a second-place finish at his very first invitational meet hosted by Dalhousie in January.

He placed first in the 50m backstroke, 50m and 200m freestyle events, and second in the 100m freestyle.

Dalhousie's Crowell competed in all four invitational meets this season. In her inaugural year with the Tigers, she earned four first-place individual finishes and five first-place finishes as part of Dalhousie relay teams. She finished in the top three 12 times in individual events this season.

Second-year Acadia swimmer Guy Harrison-Murray (Perth, Australia) was named the men's swimming recipient of the AUS student-athlete community service award.  

"Guy is probably one of the best student-athletes I have ever coached," said Axemen head coach Gary MacDonald. "A natural-born team leader who has a passion for excellence in everything he does. He always leads by example and his attitude is infectious to the whole team. Willing to make all the sacrifices that are needed to be successful in both school and in the pool, and he still finds time to volunteer in many endeavours despite 20 hours of training each week and a full commitment to school."

Harrison-Murray's win marks the first-ever by an Acadia swimmer in this category since the award was introduced in 2012.

Memorial freshman Lydia Slade (St. John's, N.L.) earned the AUS student-athlete community service award in women's swimming.

"Lydia is a hard-working and dedicated athlete who is a great supporter of her teammates," said Sea-Hawks coach Duffy Earle. "She spends her time away from studying and training working with special Olympics swimmers and tutoring and volunteering at a local community centre for vulnerable populations.  Lydia is generous with her time and puts others ahead of herself."

Slade's win marks the first time a Memorial student-athlete has won this award since its inception in 2011.

In his 22^nd year at the helm of the Mount Allison program, Coach John Peters earned the AUS men's swimming coach of the year honour for the second time in his career. He first earned the honour following the 2012-2013 season.  

In his seventh season as head coach of the Dalhousie Tigers, Lance Cansdale once again earned AUS women's swimming coach of the year honours. He has earned the honour in all seven of his seasons with the Tigers. 

The 2019 Subway AUS Swimming Championships are being hosted this weekend, Feb. 8-10, by Dalhousie University at the Dalplex in Halifax, N.S.     

For the complete event schedule, click here. 

Admission for fans is free all weekend and the entire championship will be webcast live at www.AUStv.ca.

The U SPORTS national swimming championships are being hosted by the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and will take place Feb. 21-23.