April 20, 2004

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Senior All-Americas Jessi Perruquet and Yuri Suguiyama led the winners as the 2003-04 University of North Carolina men's and women's swimming and diving teams honored their award winners at the annual team banquet in the Kenan Stadium Pope Box. Other multiple award winners include senior diver Eric Poitras, senior Becky Acker, senior men's co-captain Dan Vick, senior Gena Bittner and senior diver Lindsay Waddell.

Suguiyama, a senior from Ijamsville, Md., won the Richard Jamerson Memorial Awards as both the most valuable and most outstanding swimmers on the men's squad. He was also named the recipient of the Bruce Webster Memorial Award as the squad's most dedicated swimmer.

Perruquet, a senior from Danville, Pa., won the Richard Jamerson Memorial Award as the women's team's most outstanding swimmer and she shared the most valuable swimmer award with senior Kelly Weeks (Raleigh, N.C.).

The Richard Jamerson Memorial Awards as the team's most improved swimmers went to sophomore Patrick Woodruff for the men and freshman Emily Reardon for the women.

The David McInnis Diving Award was formally presented this year for the first time but was presented for each of the past two school years. The 2002-03 recipients were Stephen Krebs and Ashley Benner while this year's winners were Eric Poitras for the men while the women's award was shared by Lindsay Waddell, Elizabeth Misiti and Jennifer Rehm.

The Hill Carrow Spirit Awards both went to Tar Heel seniors -- Whitney Smith for the women and Dan Vick for the men. The outstanding performers in strength and conditioning were Dan Vick for men's swimming, Eric Poitras for men's diving, Gena Bittner for women's swimming and Lindsay Waddell for women's diving.

Senior Becky Acker was recognized as the winner of the Andrea Erben Memorial Award as the most dedicated swimmer on the women's team. Acker and Perruquet are also recipient of 2004 Weaver-Jamers-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarships given by the Atlantic Coast Conference. Suguiyam and Perruquet were named winners of the 2003-04 ACC Senior Scholarship Awards as the top male and female senior student-athletes at UNC. Bittner picked up an ACC Top Six For Service Award for her community service award and she also won the Tatum Award given annually to a student-athlete for service to the university and community.

Bittner joined Sinisa Haberle and Courtney Lewis as recipients of the Osterneck Family Unsung Hero Awards. UNC swimmers and divers who earned All-ACC and All-America honors were also recognized.

The Class of 1940 Blue Dolphin Award given for service to Carolina swimming was awarded to Tar Heel assistant coach Willem Bok.