LOCK HAVEN, Pa.- On the heels of its 37
th PSAC Championship and another strong showing at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships, the West Chester University men's swimming and diving squad swept the PSAC Postseason awards as
Paul Demesy (Saint Ulrich, France) repeated as Athlete of the Year,
Christian Henry (York, Pa./Central York) earned Rookie of the Year honors, and head coach
Steve Mazurek was named Coach of the Year.
Demesy, a junior at West Chester, earned his third major award in three years as he was named the 2023 Rookie of the Year before earning his first Athlete of the Year certificate at the end of the 2024 season, while Henry became the 11
th Golden Ram swimmer to earn PSAC Freshman of the Year honors since the conference first bestowed the awards in 2005. This is the third consecutive year that a Golden Ram has received this honor, with Demesy and
Danny Dunigan (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) being honored each of the last two years.
Demesy was a three-time Champion at the PSAC Championships, finishing first in the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle's in 4 minutes and 25.23 seconds, 9:04.40, and 15:14.83, respectively. Demesy followed this up with three All-America certificates at the NCAA Division II Championships, earning First Team honors in the 1000 and 1650 freestyle with times of 9:01.47 and 15:04.21, respectively, to finish fourth and second. The junior also earned Honorable Mention honors for a 10
th-place finish in the 500 free. Demesy also set new PSAC records in both the 1000 and 1650 free at the NCAA Division II Championships.
Demesy's second honor marks the 19
th time that a Golden Ram has been named Athlete of the Year, and he is the first repeat winner since assistant coach
Victor Polyakov was recognized as Athlete of the Year four years in a row from 2013-14 through 2016-17. Polyakov and Demesy are two of five multiple-time Athlete of the Year honorees for West Chester, along with Kenny McCormick, who was recognized in 2010 and 2011; Reggie Shearer, who was honored in 2004, 2005, and 2006; and Matt Matys, who was honored in 2002 and 2000.
Henry enjoyed an excellent rookie season for Mazurek and the Golden Rams, earning a spot in the finals in four events at the PSAC Championships, finishing fourth in the 400 IM in 4:02.45, sixth in the 200 IM in 1:51.68, eighth in the 100 breast in 56.66 seconds, and eighth in the 200 breast in 2:06.02.
With Henry's honor, it marks the second time since 2005 that West Chester has won Rookie of the Year in three consecutive years. The Golden Rams also accomplished this feat from 2017 to 2019, when the league office recognized Dylan North, Jarod Anderson, and
Logan Brockway in three consecutive years.
Mazurek earns his fourth Men's Swimming Coach of the Year certificate, his first since 2022, while also winning his seventh Coach of the Year award as the head coach of the Golden Rams women's squad. Between the two teams, Mazurek has been the Coach of the Year 11 times in his career and has been honored with at least one of his programs every year, except 2021, when West Chester did not compete due to COVID-19 restrictions.
This recognition also marks the fourth time in which Mazurek has been recognized as the Coach of the Year for both the Golden Rams men's and women's swimming programs with the last such occasion coming at the end of the 2021-22 season. Mazurek was also honored with both teams at the end of the 2017-18 and 2019-20 campaigns.
