Swimming And Diving Announces Annual Team Award Winners
Jun 01 | Women's Swimming & Diving
The Rutgers women's swimming & diving team celebrated its annual award winners after a successful 2025-26 campaign for the Scarlet Knights.
Swimmer of the Year: Anna Vlachou
The Swimmer of the Year award is presented annually to the Scarlet Knight
who had the biggest impact on the team
Anna Vlachou broke two Rutgers’ school records this season. The native of Athens, Greece touched the wall in 52.16 in the 100 Butterfly and 48.50 at the 100 Freestyle at the Big Ten Championships, the best times in program history in each event. The junior also swam a 22.37 in the 50 Freestyle, the second fastest time in school history. Vlachou reached the finals at Big Tens in each of the three events, highlighted by an 8th place finish in the A Final in the 100 Fly.
Diver of the Year: Katerina Hoffman
The Diver of the Year award is presented annually to the Scarlet Knight
who had the biggest impact on the team
Katerina Hoffman excelled on the boards for the Scarlet Knights, finishing her season as a Second Team All-American on 3-Meter, where she placed 14th at the NCAA Championships. She also won the 1M and 3M at the NCAA Zone A Championships to earn her place at NCAAs. At the Big Ten Championships, Hoffman reached the podium with finals appearances in 3M (7th) and 1M (8th) while reaching consolation finals on the Platform. She also won the Rutgers platform Invite and capture the 1M title against Nebraska, Fordham/St. Bonaventure and at the Navy Invite.
Newcomer of the Year: Ana Hazlehurst
The Newcomer of the Year award is presented annually to a first-year
Scarlet Knight who had the biggest impact on the team
Hazlehurst made an instant impact on the team after joining RU for her sophomore season in 2025-26 following a transfer from Indiana University. Named a Big Ten Preseason Swimmer to Watch, the native of Lutherville Timonium in Maryland excelled in the pool. Hazlehurst made three finals appearances at the Big Ten Championships, reaching the B Finals in the 400 IM and the C Final in the 200 IM and the 200 Butterfly. Her time of 1:59:33 in the 200 IM was the second fastest swim in the event in program history, while she also touched the wall with a time of 4:13:88 in the 400 IM that was the third fastest time in program history.
Galbraith Award: Katerina Hoffman and Sephora Ford
The Galtbraith Award is presented to outstanding Scarlet Knight divers
who have excelled on the national level was named in honor of Rutgers
swimming & diving's first All-American – Robert Galbraith,
a 1924 NCAA Champion on 1M
Hoffman and Ford both earned All-American accolades at the NCAA Championships. Hoffman was a Second Team All-American on 3-Meter, where she placed 14th at the NCAA Championships.
Ford also earned All-American status at the NCAA Championships, where she placed 16th on the Platform to earn the accolade. A NCAA Qualifier on all three boards, Ford was also the NCAA Zone A Champion on the Platform. The Sheffield, England native reached the podium at the Big Ten Championships in Platform (sixth) and 3M (eighth) while also reaching the consolation finals at the Big Ten Championships. She holds top-10 marks in program history for RU in both Platform and 3M.
Alumni Spirit Award: Katherine Lang
The Alumni Spirit Award is presented annually to a team member
who through her leadership, loyalty and ability has
best demonstrated outstanding competitive spirit & sportsmanship
Katherine Lang had a tremendous impact on the Rutgers’ program, both in and out of the pool. The Charlotte native was a team captain for the 2025-26 season, where the backstroker concluded a strong four-year campaign as a Scarlet Knight. Earning a degree in Public Health, she excelled academically, earning induction into Chi Alpha Sigma, the student-athlete honor society. She was a Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship winner, where she will continue her academic career in law school. The President of SAAC, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, was honored with the opportunity to address her peers, speaking at the Student-Athlete Graduation Ceremony to impart her perspective on the Rutgers experience to her fellow graduates.
