MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference announced the league's 2010 – 11 to 2019 – 20 Women' Swimming All-Decade honor earlier on Thursday. Voters named sixteen student-athletes from five programs to the All-Decade teams, in addition to Swimmer and Coach of the Decade special recognition. Alli Crenshaw from Florida Southern earned Swimmer of the Decade honors, while Nova Southeastern Head Coach Ben Hewitt was awarded the Coach of the Decade.
All-Decade voting took place among the Sunshine State Conference administrators and swimming coaches.
Erin Black, Lauren Chapple, Courtney DeVeny, Emma Sundstedt and Emma Wahlstrom were the Nova Southeastern representatives on the First-Team All-Decade, while Malin Westman was named to the Second-Team. The six selections for the All-Decade team from Nova Southeastern put NSU with the most honorees from the Sunshine State Conference.
Hewitt earned SSC Coach of the Decade honors, after guiding the Sharks to three Sunshine State Conference Championships and three NCAA Championship Top-4 finishes from 2016-2020. Hewitt has coached 25 All-SSC selections, three Swimmers of the Year and an incredible, 28 All-Americans. Hewit earned three SSC Coach of the Year honors, taking home the award in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
"I'm extremely humbled to be honored as the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Decade, and I am proud to be recognized for the achievement," said Hewitt. "However, this is a product of all the great people that have been a part of the program over the years. From the amazing student-athletes to the current and former members of the coaching staff, our academic support staff, sports medicine team, strength coaches and all levels of leadership."
Hewitt continued, "We've had some truly great years and I am forever thankful. I'd also like to thank the other coaches in the Conference I've worked with over the years. Thank you for continually raising the bar, pushing us to a higher standard and being a competitive force."
Black was a dominant force in the pool during her time at Nova Southeastern, winning a pair of individual national titles in the 500-freestyle (2012, 2013). She also added two individual Sunshine State Conference championships in 2012 (200/500 free) and was a part of the 800-free relay league title team. In addition, Black also earned Swimmer of the Year honors for the SSC in 2012, as well as First-Team All-Conference and All-American honors. Black was inducted into the NSU Sharks Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2019.
Chapple won three individual Sunshine State Conference titles during her time at NSU, claiming victories in the 200-fly and 400-IM in 2013, and also winning the 200-fly and 800-free relay in 2012. Chapple was named as a First-Team All-American in both 2012 and 2013 and placed within the top-5 in the NCAA National Championships in three events.
DeVeny is one of the most accomplished swimmers in the history of Nova Southeastern, winning an impressive 11 Sunshine State Conference individual titles during her time as a Shark, in addition to two NCAA National titles. DeVeny claimed the NCAA National Championship in the 400-IM in 2015 and 2018. During her career, DeVeny earned Sunshine State Conference honors in the backstroke, fly, IM, as well as relay championships in the 800/200/400.
Sundstedt, a three-time member of the All-SSC First-Team and a five-time All-American, earned nine Sunshine State Conference titles during her time at NSU. Sundstedt was a part of the 2018 and 2020 Sunshine State Conference Championship teams and helped lead the Sharks to a third (2018) and fourth (2019) finish at the NCAA National Championship.
Wahlstrom won two NCAA National titles during her time at Nova Southeastern, winning the 200-freestyle in back-to-back seasons (2016/2017), in addition to five Sunshine State Conference championships. Wahlstrom earned three First-Team All-American honors (2015-2017), and was the 2017 Sunshine State Conference Swimmer of the Year.
Westman claimed four Sunshine State Conference titles from 2015-2018, leading the Sharks to three consecutive SSC Conference championships as a Shark. Westman earned All-American honors in each of her years at Nova Southeastern and was selected to the First-Team All-SSC in 2014-15.
