Oakley Earns SEC Freshman Diver of the Year

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Texas A&M's Joslyn Oakley was named the 2023 Southeastern Conference Freshman Women's Diver of the Year after impressive performances on both springboards at SEC and NCAA Championships, the league office announced Wednesday morning. Oakley was also named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, while Giulia Goerigk and Chloe Stepanek also collected SEC honors.
 
Oakley qualified at Zones for the NCAA Championships on both springboards in her collegiate debut season. The Mooresville, North Carolina, native claimed Honorable Mention All-America awards on the 1-meter as she finished 14th in the consolation final, and on the 3-meter, placing 15th.
 
At SECs, Oakley piled on points for the Aggies, leading the team as she advanced to finals on the 1-meter where she went on the take fifth and find her place of the SEC All-Freshman Team. She also added a 12th-place finish on the 3-meter. Throughout the season, she has compiled 15 top-five scores, 12 of those falling in the top-three.
 
Another standout newcomer, Goerigk, made a big impact this season. Earning a bronze medal in the 400 IM at SECs, the freshman clocked a 4:06.84. She was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and earned All-SEC Second Team honors for the medal finish. The Karlsruhe, Germany, native recorded a career-best time of 4:05.75 in the 400 IM at the Art Adamson Invitational, which punched her ticket to NCAAs as one of the fastest times in the country. The swim is currently tabbed the 13th-fastest in the nation this season and seventh-fastest in school history. At NCAA Championships, Goerigk clocked a top-20 time in the 400 IM, while also competing in the 500 free and 200 breast.
 
Stepanek collected a silver medal in the 200 free at SECs for the third year in a row as she put up a season-best time of 1:43.37, which stands as the No. 13 time in the nation this season. The junior earned All-SEC Second Team honors for her third consecutive year. At SECs, she also swam a career-best 22.09 in the 50 free. The Northport, New York, native compiled three All-America honors at NCAAs, leading the way with a seventh-place finish in the 200 free and earning Honorable Mention distinction in the 100 free (13th) and 400 medley relay (16th). Prior to NCAAs, Stepanek swam an all-time personal-best 47.67 in the 100 free at Texas A&M's Last Chance meet, ranking the 16th-fastest time in the nation.
 
SEC Awards
Freshman Diver of the Year, SEC All-Freshman Team – Joslyn Oakley
SEC All-Freshman Team – Giulia Goerigk, Joslyn Oakley
All-SEC Second Team – Giulia Goerigk, Chloe Stepanek
 
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