April 28, 2004
Fairfax, Va.--George Mason University senior Jamie Downing (Midlothian, Va.) highlighted the conference awards as she was named Colonial Athletic Association Diver of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches, while Roland McDonald was voted as the league's women's diving coach of the year at the close of the 2003-04 season.
Downing captured the one-meter diving title at the CAA Championships in February with a score of 265.35 and went on to place second in the three-meter diving event (468.70). Throughout the conference regular season, Downing claimed both the one-meter and three-meter diving events in three dual meets against CAA schools and won the three-meter event at William & Mary on Oct. 31. Downing also earned conference Co-Outstanding Performer of the Week twice during the 2003-04 campaign as she received the honor on Nov. 12 and Nov. 25. In addition, Downing placed eighth on the three-meter board at the NCAA Zone A Diving Championships in March.
Another Patriot to garner conference honors is freshman Colleen Flack (Langhorne, Pa.) who was tabbed CAA Diving Rookie of the Year. Flack posted a fourth-place finish on the three-meter board at the CAA Championship with a score of 405.85 and was the only freshman to finish in the top-16 of the one-meter competition, finishing eighth. Flack placed 17th at the NCAA Zone A Diving Championships on the three-meter and sixth in the platform competition.
McDonald helped guide the women's team to its third consecutive CAA title and an impressive team showing in the diving events. Mason produced three of the top-five performers in the one-meter competition, including individual champion and Diver of the Year, Downing. The Patriots also claimed three of the top four scores on the three-meter board. This is the first time in his five years with Mason in which McDonald has received this honor.
On the men's side, Tom Koucheravy (Fairfax, Va.) was named CAA Rookie of the Year in swimming for his efforts during this past year. Koucheravy had an impressive freshman season in distance events for the Patriots, capped off by a first-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle and a second-place showing in the 500-yard freestyle at the CAA Championships. Koucheravy swam to the gold in a time of 15:38.99 in the 1,650-yard free and captured silver in the 500-yard free with a time of 4:33.08.
Mason's women's team was crowned 2004 CAA Champions for the third-straight year after posting a score of 573 and the men's squad finished second for the best finish in school history with a score of 567.50.
