MacNeil Named Big Ten Women's Swimmer of the Year
5/13/2020 3:00:00 PM | Women's Swimming & Diving
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Sophomore Maggie MacNeil of the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team was named Big Ten Women's Swimmer of the Year on Wednesday (May 13), following a vote by the conference's head coaches.
She is the seventh swimmer in school history to earn the Big Ten award and first since Emily Brunemann in 2008. Others to receive the award include Gwen DeMaat (1987), Mindy Gehrs (1992), Alecia Humphrey (1993, 1994), Shannon Shakespeare (1997) and Kaitlyn Brady (2006).
A native of London, Ontario, Canada, MacNeil was a six-time Big Ten champion in 2020 and was the Big Ten Swimmer of the Championships. At the conference meet in February, she won the 50-yard freestyle (21.30), 100-yard freestyle (46.57) and 100-yard butterfly (49.42), while swimming legs on three winning relay teams. This year, MacNeil set four individual school records (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard butterfly), two Big Ten records (100-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly) and tied one NCAA record (100-yard butterfly). Following the season, she was named one of the four finalists for the 2020 Honda Award for Swimming and Diving.
MacNeil rose her profile on the international stage last summer, collecting three medals for Canada at the FINA World Championships in South Korea. She won gold in the 100-meter butterfly, setting new Commonwealth, Americas and Canadian records (55.83), while winning bronze medals on the 4x100-meter freestyle relay and 4x100-meter medley relay.
A general studies major, MacNeil was named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree on Monday (May 11).
Players Mentioned
