BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- A pair of Texas A&M swimmers were honored by the Southeastern Conference for their accomplishments during the Aggies' successful 2014-15 season on Tuesday.
Senior Sarah Henry (Garner, N.C.) earned SEC Female Swimmer of the Year honors, while freshman Béryl Gastaldello (Miramas, France) was named the SEC Female Freshman of the Year.
Henry, a 16-time All-American, closed out her standout Texas A&M career with an NCAA Championship in the 400-yard IM last month. In addition to the first national title of her career, Henry also placed third in the 500 free and fourth in the 1,650 free, as well as swimming the anchor leg on the Aggies' fourth-place 800 free relay. At the 2015 SEC Championships, Henry earned top three finishes in the 400 IM and the 500 and 1,650 freestyles. She finished her career as the school record holder in the 500-, 1,000- and 1,650 freestyle and the 800 free relay.
Gastaldello made an immediate impact on the Texas A&M squad as the Aggies' top entry in the 50 and 100 freestyles, the 100 backstroke and the 100 butterfly. She also swam legs on four of the Aggies' five relays. Gastaldello was the Aggies' lone SEC Champion in 2015 with a win in the 100 butterfly and she also logged top three finishes in the 100 back and 50 freestyle. At her first NCAA Championships, Gastaldello posted six top 16 finishes – two individually and four with relays. She closed out her first season at Texas A&M with a pair of school records in the 50 free (21.76 at the NCAA Championships) and the 100 fly (50.87 at the SEC Championships).
Henry and Gastaldello played large roles in the Aggies' third-straight fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and runner-up finish at the SEC Championships. Texas A&M was a perfect 9-0 in dual meet action in 2014-15 and are in the midst of a 22-meet undefeated stretch that dates back to January of 2013.
Complete 2015 SEC Swimming & Diving Awards
Male Swimmer of the Year: Kristian Gkolomeev, Alabama
Male Freshman of the Year: Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Men's Swimming Coach of the Year: Gregg Troy, Florida
Male Diver of the Year: Fraser McKean, Auburn
Male Freshman Diver of the Year: Liam Stone, Tennessee
Men's Diving Coach of the Year: Dave Parrington, Tennessee
Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Nicolas Fink, Georgia
Female Swimmer of the Year: Sarah Henry, Texas A&M
Female Freshman Swimmer of the Year: Béryl Gastaldello, Texas A&M
Women's Swimming Coach of the Year: Jack Bauerle, Georgia
Female Diver of the Year: Rebecca Hamperian, Kentucky
Female Freshman Diver of the Year: Olivia Ball, Georgia
Women's Diving Coach of the Year: Ted Hautau, Kentucky
Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Danielle Galyer, Kentucky