CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TheCCSA.com) – Gardner-Webb freshman Tim Bennett (Fishers, Ind.) has been named the 2018-19 CCSA Men's Swimmer of the Year, while Incarnate Word junior Dawson Martinez (San Antonio, Texas) is the CCSA Men's Diver of the Year for the second consecutive season. In addition, Florida Atlantic senior Connor Hodges (Panama City Beach, Fla.) is this year's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the CCSA announced Tuesday.
Bennett was the Runnin' Bulldogs top performer at the 2019 CCSA Championship with three first-place finishes and six All-Conference times. He claimed first in the 100-fly with a time of 48.00 and then won the 100-back at 49.01. Bennett was also a part of the first-place 200-free relay team that finished in 1:21.06. He took third in the 200-back with a final time of 1:48.28, and helped GWU place second in the 400-medley relay at 3:17.74. His final all-conference performance was a third place finish with the 800-free relay team that clocked in at 6:39.48.
Martinez was the 3-Meter dive champion (335.55) at this year's CCSA Championship and runner-up on the 1-Meter (334.00). He also qualified for his second consecutive NCAA Zones Diving meet, where he reached the finals in the 3-Meter and platform competitions.
Hodges achieved a 3.835 GPA in the fall when the season was in full swing and was named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for the fourth consecutive year, as well as the FAU All-Academic Team for the seventh time. Hodges is a mechanical engineering major with a minor in computer science and holds a cumulative 3.831 GPA. He has been a four-time Dean's List recipient and three-time C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal winner. In addition, Hodges claimed 13 top 10 finishes this season, including season-best times in the 200 fly (1:52.21) and 500 free (4:39.16) at the 2019 CCSA Championship. Hodges also achieved first-place in the 500 free in a regular season tri-meet against NJIT and NYU.
Also nominated for Swimmer of the Year: Josh Fountain (Florida Atlantic) and Hector Ruvalcaba Cruz (Incarnate Word).
Also nominated for Diver of the Year: Logan Downey (Florida Atlantic).
Also nominated for Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Dalton Meyers (Gardner-Webb) and Kevin Roberton (NJIT).