NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference on Wednesday announced its Women’s Swimming & Diving Awards, recognizing standout performances from the 2025 season. The awards were voted on by the head coaches of Sun Belt Conference women’s swim & dive programs.
The Sun Belt also announced the All-Sun Belt Conference honorees from the 2025 Sun Belt Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
The student-athletes recognized include:
•
Swimming Performer of the Year: Kseniia Luniushina, Marshall
•
Diving Performer of the Year: Alexa Holloway, James Madison
•
Freshman of the Year: Kseniia Luniushina, Marshall
•
Newcomer of the Year: Sarah Pauley, James Madison
•
Coach of the Year: Dane Pedersen, James Madison
•
Elite Award Winner: Madeline Hart, Marshall
Swimming Performer of the Year and Freshman of the Year: Kseniia Luniushina, Marshall
Luniushina had a stellar freshman campaign that included earning Sun Belt Women's Swimmer of the Week honors five times throughout the season to capture both Sun Belt Swimming Performer of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Over the course of the season, the East Stroudsburg, Pa. native broke the 50 Freestyle Sun Belt record. A specialist in the backstroke, she set and broke the 100 Backstroke Sun Belt record four different times. No stranger to the record book, she certified herself in Orlando at the championship with a new Sun Belt Championship record in the 100 Backstroke (52.49). Luniushina was also a member of the 400 Medley Relay team that set both a Sun Belt Championship and Season record in 3:38.11. The freshman tallied 57 individual points at the championship and was named the Co-Top Meet Scorer Swimmer. She was also the only swimmer in the league to be ranked in the Top 100 in any NCAA event (75th, 100 Backstroke).
Diving Performer of the Year: Alexa Holloway, James Madison
Holloway repeated as the Sun Belt 3-meter champion and also took gold in platform diving, while earning a silver on the 1-meter board to repeat as the Diving Performer of the Year. She was the top scoring diver at the Championship for the second consecutive season as well with 57 points. Her score of 350.35 on the 1-meter was a Sun Belt Championship Meet record, as was her 267.15 platform diving score. Her platform diving score was also a Sun Belt record. She qualified for NCAA Zones for all three boards, as she was the highest finishing Sun Belt diver at Zones. She was the highest placing diver from the Sun Belt in the prelims of both the 3-meter board and 1-meter board, moving onto the finals of the 1-meter.
Newcomer of the Year: Sarah Pauley, James Madison
Pauley scored 25 points during the Championship, finishing sixth in the 100 Back and seventh in the 200 Back to earn Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year honors. Pauley was also the highest scoring transfer competing at the Championship. She also led off the silver-medal-winning 200 Medley and 400 Medley Relays, both of which are the second fastest times in program history.
Coach of the Year: Dane Pedersen, James Madison
Pedersen earned Sun Belt Coach of the Year honors for the second consecutive season after he led James Madison to its second consecutive Sun Belt title, becoming the second team in the history of the Sun Belt to eclipse 1000 points with the first being JMU's squad last season. He did so by leading the team to 13 gold medals, the most of the meet, and 27 total medals, also the most of the meet. Seven Sun Belt Championship records were broken by JMU with an additional three Sun Belt records. The Dukes also recorded NCAA “B” Standard times in four events. Pedersen's tutelage saw the Dukes take home the top point scoring diver and a share of the top point scoring swimmer.
Marshall’s Madeline Hart was named the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving Elite Award Winner.
The SBC Elite Award recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the Sun Belt Conference Championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The SBC Elite award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating on the final day for each of the Sun Belt Conference’s championships.
2025 Sun Belt Women’s Swimming & Diving All-Conference First Team
Grace Bousum, James Madison
Riley Bridgman, James Madison
Jamie Cornwell, James Madison
Alexa Holloway, James Madison
Jess Pryne, James Madison
Angela Ritchie, James Madison
Alex Volk, James Madison
Madison Wimmer, James Madison
Kseniia Luniushina, Marshall
Paige Banton, Marshall
Madeline Hart, Marshall
Audrey West, Marshall
Grace Kelsheimer, Marshall
Lauren McNamara, Marshall
Eszter Laban, Marshall
2025 Sun Belt Women’s Swimming & Diving All-Conference Second Team
Ann Chappell Ellington, James Madison
Katelyn Fitzgerald, James Madison
Emma LaFountain, James Madison
Sarah Pauley, James Madison
Parker Lynch, Marshall
Mia McBride, Marshall
Preslava Tosheva, Marshall
Molly Warner, Marshall
2025 Sun Belt Women’s Swimming & Diving All-Conference Third Team
Chiara Alberti, Georgia Southern
Logan Belanger, Georgia Southern
Scout Chapin, Georgia Southern
Carsyn Cosman, Georgia Southern
Zuri Clavo, Georgia Southern
Alyssa Ilfill, Georgia Southern
Alex Pope, Georgia Southern
Jamison Tiller, Georgia Southern
Karlee Wells, Georgia Southern
Madlen Wendland, Georgia Southern
Abby Wenham, Georgia Southern
Abigail Maguire, James Madison
Kate Vitolo, James Madison
Kiersten Donnelly, Old Dominion
Mary Dunworth, Old Dominion
Lauren Masters, Old Dominion
Angela Sicaja, Old Dominion