BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU swimmer Maggie MacNeil and diving head coach Drew Livingston received end-of-season awards from the Southeastern Conference, the league office announced Wednesday.
MacNeil earned the second SEC Female Swimmer of the Year honor in LSU’s women’s program history after an outstanding graduate season. In addition to pursuing her master’s degree in the classroom and maintaining a GPA over 4.0, her success in the pool was unlike any other swimmer in school history.
At the 2023 NCAA Championships, the London, Ontario, Canada product had the opportunity to add to her two national titles. Competing in the 50-yard free, 100-yard fly and 100-yard free, MacNeil qualified for the championship final in each event.
She won her third NCAA title in the 50-free after throwing down an NCAA record 20.79. The time also broke the U.S. Open, NCAA meet, LSU school, and pool marks. In addition, she took home silver in the 100-fly with a time of 48.51 and claimed bronze in the 100-free with a time of 46.58.
The fastest 50 free in history 😤
20.79 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/4hJpo8cSIr
— LSU Swimming & Diving (@LSUSwimDive) March 16, 2023
In her one and only SEC Championship appearance, MacNeil led the way with three individual gold medals. She won conference championships in the 50-free, 100-fly, and 100-free. MacNeil was also a part of the first relay victory at the conference meet since 1986. The Tigers won the 200-yard freestyle relay and 400-yard freestyle relay. The LSU women closed the meet with the most gold medals at a single SEC’s in school history with eight.
Livingston, who joined the program last June and replaced a diving legend in Doug Shaffer, was named the Female Diving Coach of the Year. Not even a year removed from his arrival in Baton Rouge, Livingston made a statement with his diver’s performances. This recognition marks the second straight season an LSU diving coach has received this honor.
He coached the women’s diving squad to an SEC title and a runner-up on the tower at NCAA’s. Montserrat Gutierrez Lavenant completed both feats with the first SEC title on platform for the program since Cassie Weil in 2015. Lavenant also finished in second at the NCAA Championships becoming the first diver to finish in the top three on platform at the national meet since 2001.
Not too shabby for first-year diving head coach @drew_livingston (so far) 🙌
SEC Champion: @MontseGlavenant
Bronze Medalists: Maggie Buckley, Chiara Pellacani (x2)#GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/H2ZgSRl95E— LSU Swimming & Diving (@LSUSwimDive) February 18, 2023
Livingston coached a total of six divers through NCAA diving zones, qualifying each one for their respective championships. On the women’s side, LSU’s four qualifiers finished with two All-American honors from Lavenant and Chiara Pellacani.
The SEC also announced the athletes to receive to the Commissioner’s Trophy at the conference meet, along with All-SEC teams and the All-SEC Freshman teams.
Commissioner’s Trophy
Men
Jordan Crooks, Tennessee
Bryden Hattie, Tennessee
Baylor Nelson, Texas A&M
Women
Maggie MacNeil, LSU
All-SEC First-Team
Women
Kalia Antoniou, Alabama
Emily Jones, Alabama
Kensey McMahon, Alabama
Rhyan White, Alabama
Avery Wiseman, Alabama
Talia Bates, Florida
Micayla Cronk, Florida
Ekaterina Nikonova, Florida
Emma Weyant, Florida
Zoie Hartman, Georgia
Rachel Stege, Georgia
Megan Barnes, LSU
Jenna Bridges, LSU
Peyton Curry, LSU
Michaela De Villiers, LSU
Montserrat Lavenant, LSU
Maggie MacNeil, LSU
Katarina Milutinovich, LSU
Ella Varga, LSU
Brooke Schultz, South Carolina
Brooklyn Douthwright, Tennessee
Mona McSharry, Tennessee
All-SEC Second Team
Women
Diana Petkova, Alabama
Kailyn Winter, Alabama
Bella Cothern, Arkansas
Alessia Ferraguti, Arkansas
Kobie Melton, Arkansas
Andrea Sansores, Arkansas
Meghan Lee, Auburn
Maha Amer, Florida
Nina Kucheran, Florida
Katie Mack, Florida
Olivia Peoples, Florida
Aris Runnels, Florida
Jillian Barczyk, Georgia
Duné Coetzee, Georgia
Callie Dickinson, Georgia
Eboni McCarty, Georgia
Sloane Reinstein, Georgia
Caitlin Brooks, Kentucky
Kyndal Knight, Kentucky
Lauren Poole, Kentucky
Maggie Buckley, LSU
Chiara Pellacani, LSU
Sophie Verzyl, South Carolina
Aly Breslin, Tennessee
Julia Burroughs, Tennessee
Emma Carlton, Tennessee
Josephine Fuller, Tennessee
Julia Mrozinski, Tennessee
Jasmine Rumley, Tennessee
Kristen Stege, Tennessee
Sara Stotler, Tennessee
Giulia Goerigk, Texas A&M
Chloe Stepanek, Texas A&M
All-Freshman Team
Women
Emily Jones, Alabama
Betsy Wizard, Arkansas
Zoe Dixon, Florida
Hayden Miller, Florida
Lydia Hanlon, Kentucky
Grace Frericks, Kentucky
Denise Phelan, Kentucky
Megan Barnes, LSU
Michaela De Villiers, LSU
Ella Varga, LSU
Malin Grosse, Missouri
Kamryn Wong, Missouri
Giulia Goerigk, Texas A&M
Joslyn Oakley, Texas A&M