VIC RIGGS

A pair of program records were broken during the season, including sophomore William Mullen’s record-breaking performance at Big 12s in the men’s 1650. Mullen touched the wall in 15:21.57 topping a 39-year record set by Craig Cooper in 1983. Additionally, fifth-year Ana Zortea broke the women’s 100 back, as she bested Amelie Currat’s time of 53.50 (2018), by touching in 53.41.

Riggs’ teams have continuously excelled in the classroom and the 2021-22 season was no different. WVU had three swimmers, and two divers, be named as 2022 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Recipients – seniors Josh Madzy and Abigail Riggs, and junior Conrad Molinaro. Thirty-five Mountaineers were named to the 2022 Academic All-Big 12 Swimming & Diving Team; 29 were named to the first team and two student-athletes earned the honor with a 4.0 GPA.

Riggs continues to lead his teams outside of the pool as both squads were named to the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) during the fall 2020 and the spring 2021 semesters. Alongside the CSCAA honors, 40 Mountaineers were named to the 2021 Academic All-Big 12 Swimming and Diving Team; of those 40, 34 were named to the first team and eight student-athletes earned the honor with a 4.0 GPA, the most among other Big 12 schools. Additionally, Kayla Gagnon and Ryan Van Wyk, were named recipients of the 2021 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement award.

In more than a decade at West Virginia University, Vic Riggs has helped the WVU swimming and diving program climb to national prominence. With an academic support system designed around the swimming and diving program, Riggs, who enters his 16th season at the helm in 2022-23, has built a team that continues to be recognized nationally for success in the classroom.

Throughout his coaching tenure at WVU, Riggs has coached 35 NCAA qualifiers, 15 NCAA All-Americans, 19 Academic AllAmericans, eight Big 12 Scholar-Athletes of the Year and 18 Olympic Trials qualifiers.

Riggs and his teams spent their third season at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park and played host to the 2022 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships for the second time in school history. The 2021-22 campaign was highlighted by fifth-year David Dixon earning his fifth-consecutive NCAA bid, the only Mountaineer in program history to do so.

At the conference meet, in total, the Mountaineers combined to earn 13 medals, including one gold, four silvers and eight bronze. Nine members of the team earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team, while 24 were recognized on the All-Big 12 Second Team.

Riggs’ led West Virginia to another successful season, despite being shortened, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the Big 12 Championships, the men earned their sixth consecutive second-place finish, while the women finished fourth. Additionally, nine Mountaineers earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team, while 19 were recognized on the All-Big 12 Second Team.

Emily Haimes, Harna Minezawa, Jacqueline McCutchan and Jordan Buechler earned silver in the 200 freestyle relay, at Big 12’s, setting a new program record of 1:31.05. Including the 200 free relay, WVU collected 11 medals at the conference meet, including four silver and seven bronze.

The season was highlighted by senior David Dixon earning a bid to the 2021 NCAA Swimming Championships for the fourth consecutive season, becoming the first Mountaineer from the men’s team to do so. At NCAA’s, he finished 12th-place in the 200 butterfly to earn Honorable Mention All-America honors. Additionally, Dixon represented WVU at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials, competing in the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter IM.

It was a historical season for the Mountaineers in 2019-20, as Riggs’ squad moved into its new home at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park, hosting nine home events during the inaugural season. From the team’s first home, mid-season invitational – the WVU Invitational – to the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship’s first-ever visit to Morgantown, the Mountaineers made the most of their first season in the new facility.

At the Big 12 Championship, the men’s team finished second, while the women placed fifth. Riggs’ teams collected 11 total medals at the conference meet, including five silver and six bronze. Twelve members of the squad were named to the All-Big 12 First Team.

Although the 2019-20 postseason was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, four members of the men’s team qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships, including two swimmers in junior David Dixon and freshman Hunter Armstrong. After the cancellation of the championships, the CSCAA Board of Directors altered the selection criteria for All-American distinction; thus, Dixon and Armstrong, along with divers Jacob Cardinal Tremblay and Nick Cover, were selected to the 2020 All-America Team. The honors were the first for Riggs’ team since 2014.

In addition to their success in the pool, 31 Mountaineers were named to the 2020 Academic All-Big 12 Team, with seven student-athletes earning the distinction with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages. Additionally, seniors Ryan Kelly and Jack Portmann were named recipients of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, and the two squads were named CSCAA Scholar All-America Teams in the fall.

The men earned their fourth consecutive second-place finish at the 2019 Big 12 Championship, while the women finished in third. The season was highlighted by sophomore David Dixon winning a pair of Big 12 individual championships.

Dixon collected victories in the 100 and 200 butterfly to become the first Mountaineer since 2014 to win multiple titles at the event. He earned All-Big 12 First Team honors for his performance. The Richmond, Virginia, native was one of seven Mountaineer swimmers to earn the honor, while 12 others were named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. In all, WVU combined to earn two gold, nine silver and 10 bronze medals at the conference meet.

Three swimmers qualified for the 2019 NCAA Championships, as Dixon and Jake Armstrong represented the men and Morgan Bullock represented the women.

Not only were Riggs’ Mountaineers successful in the pool last season, but they also enjoyed plenty of success in the classroom. Junior Ryan Kelly was named the Big 12 Men’s Swimming and Diving Scholar Athlete of the Year, marking the fifth consecutive season and the sixth time in seven years WVU has won the conference honor in men’s or women’s swimming and diving. Additionally, 29 Mountaineers landed on the Academic AllBig 12 Team, including 23 on the first team. WVU was once again named a CSCAA Scholar All-America Team in 2018-19.

Whether it was in the pool or out, West Virginia had a plenty to look back on in 2017-18. The Mountaineers earned a pair of second-place team finishes at the 2018 Big 12 Championship, which included juniors Jake Armstrong and Tristen Di Sibio registering individual conference championships.

Armstrong successfully defended his 100 breaststroke title with a finals time of 52.59 after breaking the school record in the event during prelims (52.11). For Di Sibio, he took home gold in the 200 breaststroke, winning in a time of 1:56.00. The duo’s accomplishments marked the first time since 2014 that WVU won multiple Big 12 titles in the same season.

Under Riggs’ leadership, WVU sent a total of five swimmers to the NCAA Championships. Junior Emma Harris and sophomore Morgan Bullock represented the women’s team, the squad’s first national qualifiers since 2013, while Armstrong and Di Sibio were joined by freshman David Dixon for the men.

Armstrong and Bullock went on to grab honorable mention All-America honors at the national meets. Armstrong placed 14th overall in the 100 breaststroke (52.69), while Bullock finished 15th in the 200 butterfly (1:54.77).

The 2017-18 season also provided the men’s first undefeated dual-meet campaign since 2006-07. On the women’s side, the Mountaineers finished a perfect 2-0 in conference action, including the program’s first victory over Iowa State. Additionally, the two teams combined to break 15 school and six pool records during the 2017-18 season.

WVU again excelled academically. as both teams earned CSCAA Scholar All-America Team honors. For the sixth consecutive season, the Mountaineers also garnered Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, as seniors Amelie Currat and James Koval were awarded the distinction. Currat, who also was named a Google Cloud

BORN: August 14

HOMETOWN: Bridgeton, N.J.

CoSIDA Academic All-District At-Large selection, became the first swimmer in Big 12 history to win the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award twice. Currat, along with junior Marah Bieger, also was selected for the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award, the Big 12’s highest academic conference honor.

West Virginia saw records fall and a championship won in the 2016-17 season. Headlined by Armstrong’s win in the men’s 100 breaststroke, the Mountaineers claimed one gold medal, 11 silver medals and eight bronze medals at the 2017 Big 12 Championship. In all, 11 members of the swimming and diving teams were named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while 14 others earned second-team recognition. The performances were good enough to push the WVU men to a second-place finish at the conference meet, while the women finished fourth.

Armstrong’s victory marked the sixth Big 12 men’s title and 10th overall since joining the conference in 2013. His time of 53.09 was the second-fastest in program history in the event at the time.

The Mountaineers also tallied a pair of broken records over the course of the year. First, senior Emma Skelley broke the WVU pool record in the 1,650 free at Big 12 vs. Big East Weekend on Oct. 15, 2016. Skelley earned a time of 16:56.11, the best at the WVU Natatorium.

At the Big 12 Championship, sophomore Emma Harris broke the WVU school record in the 200 breast. She earned a time of 2:12.37 in the event.

FAMILY: Renee (wife); Abigail, Kathryn, Caroline, Irene (daughters)

SWIMMING EXPERIENCE: 1985-86: California-Berkeley

COACHING NCAA QUALIFIERS

AT USC: MEN: 2004-06

WOMEN: 2004-06

AT GEORGIA: MEN: 2007

WOMEN: 2007

AT WEST VIRGINIA: MEN: 2008-09, ’11, ’14-16, ’18-19, ’19-20, ’20-22, ’21-22

WOMEN: 2008-13, ‘18-19

Away from the pool, WVU swimming and diving had another strong year in the classroom. Both teams earned CSCAA Scholar All-America Team accolades and 21 Mountaineers were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team. Currat was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American and was honored with the Big 12 Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Additionally, senior Nathan Howells and Koval earned the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Award for their strong work academically.

Whether it was succeeding academically, winning a Big 12 title while setting a new Big 12 Championship record or breaking multiple WVU school and pool records, Riggs coached the WVU men’s and women’s teams to a high degree. Four members of the men’s team qualified to compete at the 2016 Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. WVU graduate

Bryce Bohman, seniors Andrew Marsh, Max Spencer and junior Nate Carr raced in a total of nine events at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

For the first time in program history, a Mountaineer set a new Big 12 Championship record as Marsh set the mark in the 100 backstroke with a 45.41, taking home the gold medal at the championship meet. Marsh also set a WVU school record in the 100 butterfly, with a prelim time of 46.59 to advance him to the A final. Eighteen Mountaineers earned medals at the four-day championship with eight All-Big 12 First Team performances and 12 All-Big 12 Second Team honors. Riggs coached the Mountaineer men to a second-place finish at the 2016 Big 12 Championship, posting their best finish at the conference championship since joining the Big 12. The women’s squad added a fourth-place finish.

For the second consecutive year, Marsh qualified to compete at the NCAA Men’s

Swimming and Diving Championships. He met qualifying time standards in three events, the 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle and 50 freestyle.

Academically, junior Nathan Howells was named the 2015-16 Big 12 Men’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Howells also was named to the 2016 Academic All-District At-Large Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The honor was the first for Howells and the sixth award in program history for the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams at the time. Additionally, 24 members of the team were named to the 2016 Academic All-Big 12 Team.

The women’s team earned Scholar All-America Team honors by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) during the fall and spring semesters. Additionally, Taylor Gill of the women’s team was named a recipient of the First Team Academic Momentum Award by the Scholar Baller® program in conjunction with the National Consortium of Academics and Sports (NCAS). She was the first member of the Mountaineer swimming and diving team to receive the Academic Momentum Award. The award recognizes student-athletes who have shown momentous improvements throughout their collegiate careers.

The 2014-15 season saw many accomplishments on both the WVU men’s and women’s squads. Riggs coached the men to a third-place finish in the Big 12 Conference and the women to a fourthplace finish. With a team goal of making it back to the NCAA Championships, Tim Squires and Marsh helped accomplish that with successful individual campaigns. Marsh, a junior, qualified in three events, while senior Squires qualified in two events for his second consecutive NCAA appearance.

Fourteen Mountaineers earned All-Big 12 honors at the 2015 Big 12 Championship, including the school-record-setting men’s 400-yard relay team of Marsh, Carr, Ross Glegg and Squires.

In the classroom, the Mountaineers had 26 swimmers and divers earn Academic All-Big 12 honors, nine were earned Scholar All-America accolades by the CSCAA and four were named Academic All-Americans by CoSIDA.

The WVU women’s swimming and diving team recorded the highest GPA in the Big 12 Conference among all swimming and diving programs, for the secondconsecutive year. The Mountaineers also were the only program in the Big 12 to have a 4.0 student-athlete from the men’s and women’s team.

In 2013-14, Riggs oversaw perhaps the greatest individual student-athlete performance in a single season in program history. Senior Bryce Bohman became just the second men’s swimmer in WVU history to earn First Team All-America honors at the 2014 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships. Bohman set three individual school records (100 back, 200 back, 100 fly), was named the Big 12 Male Swimmer of the Year and earned CSCAA Scholar All-America honors.

Riggs coached the men to a 23rd overall finish at the 2014 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in Austin, Texas. He also helped Squires earn Big 12 Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet honors and coached nine student-athletes to CSCAA Individual Scholar All-America recognitions.

His endless devotion to academic success was evident as the women’s team posted the highest team GPA in the Big 12 Conference. The men’s and women’s squad together garnered CSCAA Scholar AllAmerica distinctions.

The 2012-13 season was a banner year for academics within the swimming and diving teams.

Eighteen Mountaineers were named to the 2013 Academic All-Big 12 Team. Among those honored, three in the entire conference were nominated with a 4.00 grade point average, all West Virginia student-athletes –David Palley, Sloan Storie and Jenelle Zee.

Palley and Zee also were named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-District 2 At-Large Teams, while Liam McLaughlin was named the inaugural Big 12 Swimming and Diving Men’s Scholar Athlete of the Year.

At WVU’s first Big 12 Championships, the women’s team finished second and the men’s team finished third. Rachael Burnett earned the Big 12’s Most Outstanding Swimmer award, winning the 200 free, 500 free and 1,650 free. Mandie Nugent added a win in the 200 fly during the championships. The men’s squad took first in the 400 medley relay and second in the 200 medley relay, while Christopher Brill took second in the 200 breast and third in the 100 breast. Ross Glegg added a pair of third-place finishes in the 100 free and 200 free.

Riggs had his most successful season as a head coach in 2011-12, leading the women and men to third- and fourth-place finishes at the Big East Championships. For his efforts, he was named the Big East Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year. The team placed 15 members on the all-conference squad with Burnett and Nugent leading the way with seven top-three finishes for the women, while Taylor Camp had three for the men. Burnett was named the Big East Women’s Most Outstanding Swimmer.

Four different women earned a total of seven honorable mention All-America honors at the NCAA Championships as the team placed 26th. Burnett, Nugent, Kata Fodor and Danielle Smith finished 16th in the 800 free relay. Burnett earned the honor twice more, finishing 14th in the 500 free and 11th in the 1650 free, while Nugent took ninth in the 200 fly.

Riggs also sent eight swimmers to the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, the most ever from WVU. The Mountaineers were represented in 15 different events during the Trials.

In total, 10 school records, three pool records and five Big East records were broken with Burnett leading the way, slashing four individual and two relay records.