WINTHROP, Mass. –Ellie Field (Adams, Mass.) and Riley Williams (Arvada, Colo.) of the Roger Williams University Swimming & Diving team were named the Greater Northeast Athletic Conference Women's and Men's Athlete of the Year respectively, as it was announced by the conference offices recently. Head Coach Matt Emmert was also named the GNAC Men's Coach of the Year.
 
"Ellie and Riley had an extraordinary year, but was no accident," Emmert said. "Our sport is very honest, they put the work in the pool over the course of the season to achieve the results and we all saw what resulted. In addition to their individual accomplishments, they were inspirational teammates and helped to enhance our competitive environment as a team. This is a testament to their hard work and the positive and competitive team culture we are building here in Bristol!"
 
It was a historic season for both Field and Williams as they dominated the competition in the pool all the way to the NCAA Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. There, they both earned All-American Honorable Mention status and became the first swimmers to score points at the championship meet in program history.
 
Over the course of the season, Field set or matched three program-record times individually in the 50, 100, and 200 Freestyle events and she was also a member of the 200 Free Relay team that set the fastest mark in program history this winter. At the GNAC Championship meet, Field dominated winning seven races in total. Individually she won the 50, 100, and 200 Free and was a member of the first-place 200 and 800 Free, and 200 and 400 Medley Relay teams.
 
Williams was equally successful in the pool, posting program-best times in the 100 and 200 Breaststoke, as well as the 200 and 400 Individual Medley, and was a member of the program-record setting 400 Free Relay team. At the GNAC Championship, Williams took the top spot in the 200 Breaststoke in addition to the first-place 400 and 800 Free Relay and 200 Medley Relay squads. Williams added two other top-five finishes coming in second in the 200 IM and fifth in the 100 Butterfly.
 
For Emmert, it is the sixth time he has been named conference Coach of the Year, doing so five times on the men's side and once on the women's. Each of his previous awards were secured in the NEISDA.
 
This was the first season in which the Hawks competed as an associate member at the GNAC Championship, as they previously exclusively competed in the NEISDA Championship meet at the conference level.