Darling Given Mustang Award At Annual Spring Banquet
Apr 28 | Women's Swimming & Diving
April 28, 2007
DALLAS (SMU) - The SMU women's swimming and diving team held their 2007 Annual Spring Banquet this evening at the Umphrey Lee Ballroom on the campus of SMU. Leane Darling was honored with the Mustang Award as well as the Captain Award and Federica Felloni was awarded with the Most Improved award.
The banquet began with a slideshow of the season that was put together by Darling and a video clip created by Candace Blackman. Head coach Steve Collins then welcomed the guest with a recap of the season stating that the team worked through the season to reach all of the goals previously set.
The C-USA Champions were then honored. This season, the SMU women's swimming and diving team claimed the Conference USA Championship crown for the second consecutive season with a total of 853 points and notched their 11th consecutive conference title. For individual awards, Petra Klosova was named C-USA Swimmer of the Meet while head coach Collins was honored with C-USA Swimming Coach of the Year. This marks the seventh season Collins has been named conference coach of the year. The women scored the second most points in championship history and won 14 total events. They took one, two, three in four events and were top two in two other events.
Assistant coach Dominique Diezi recognized the letterwinners while Head Diving Coach recapped the diving season. Collins and Stillson then honored the 2006-07 All-Americans. En route to a 14th-place finish at NCAA, the Mustangs qualified 10 swimmers for All-American status.
SMU All-Americans
Jennifer Blackman - 200 free relay, 800 free relay, 400 free relay
Leane Darling - 200 free relay, 400 free relay
Devon Callaghan - 400 medley relay
Anja Carman - 400 medley relay, 200 back
Justine Clark - 400 medley relay
Petra Klosova - 200 free relay, 400 medley relay, 800 free relay, 400 free relay, 100 free
Celina Lemmen - 800 free relay
Katie Roberts - 800 free relay
Angela San Juan Cisneros - 200 free relay
Michelle Vlasakova - 400 free relay
Collins then talked about the US National Championships and the World Championships where the Mustangs posted impressive outings. At US Nationals, J. Blackman, San Juan Cisneros, Clark and Vlasakova represented the Mustangs in various events while at the World Championships Klosova qualified for the Olympic games in the 100 back. Former Mustangs and current staff members for SMU, Martina Moravcova and Flavia Rigamonti also swam at Worlds and qualified to represent their respective countries at the Olympics.
Collins announced the specialty awards, honoring Darling and Felloni. Darling served as the team captain this season as she helped guide the Mustangs to their second consecutive C-USA Championship title and a 14th place finish at NCAAs. She was awarded the Captain Award as well as the Mustang Award that represents leadership, spirit, performance and dedication. A four-time All-American during her time as a Mustang, Darling is a member of several record holding relays for SMU. During her career she participated in the free and back events as well as relays.
This past season, Darling clocked the team's season-best time in 50 free and posted three career-best times. She also competed as a member of the nine-woman squad that represented SMU in its annual SMU Swim Classic where the Mustangs claimed first-place. She also guided SMU to a first-place finish at the Kerr McGee Elite Meet. Darling was named to the All-C-USA 50 free, 200 and 400 free relay first teams and the 100 free and 100 fly second teams.
The Most Improved Award was given to Felloni. The sophomore from New Jersey, competed in middle to long distance free events this season as she swam a career-best time in almost every event. Both seasons as a Mustang, she has been named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. Felloni helped guide SMU to a second consecutive C-USA Championship crown and claim first-place finish at the Kerr McGee Elite Meet.
Felloni recorded a career-best time in 1650 free with a fourth-place finish and career-best time in the 500 free at the C-USA Championships. Felloni posted a career-best time in the 200 and 1000 free at the Kerr McGee Elite Meet. She swam in the 1650 free at the Art Adamson Invite and swam a season-best time in the 200 fly against Houston and Oregon St. and against North Texas, she finished second in 1000 free.
Darling then concluded the banquet with the announcement of J. Blackman and Carman as the 2007-08 Co-Captains.
