The 2024-25 Liberty League Men's Swimming & Diving major awards as voted by the conference's head coaches following NCAA Championships.
Swimmer of the Year: Drew Scheib, Graduate Student, Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT graduate student Drew Scheib was selected the Liberty League Swimmer of the Year. Scheib returned to the NCAA Division III Championship for the third straight year, where he participated in three individual events and four relays. He earned first team All-America honors in the 200 freestyle relay with teammates Eric Noga, Ryan Clancy, and Mike Atanasoff; they placed seventh with a time of 1:20.40. He was also a second team All-America honoree with a 15th-place finish in the 100 butterfly (47.60) as well as a 14th-place showing in both the 400 medley relay (3:16.86) and 200 medley relay (1:29.16) along with Noga, Atanasoff, and Ben Sippel. Scheib also posted a personal best time of 44.78 seconds in the 100 freestyle prelims at NCAAs, where he was 22nd and in the 200 butterfly prelims, he was 19th (1:48.95). In the 400 freestyle relay, the Tigers were 22nd at 3:02.06 in the prelims. At the 2025 Liberty League Championship, Scheib was named the Swimmer of the Meet after winning three individual events: 200-yard individual medley (1:48.14, NCAA B Cut), 100-yard butterfly (47.60, NCAA B Cut), and 200-yard butterfly (1:47.55, NCAA B Cut). He also had a hand in four of RIT's five winning relays—400-yard freestyle (3:00.78, NCAA B Cut), 400-yard medley (3:15.93, NCAA B Cut), 200-yard freestyle (1:20.83, NCAA B Cut), and 200-yard medley (1:28.13, NCAA B Cut).
Diver of the Year: Gellert Kish, Senior, Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT senior Gellert Kish was recognized as the Liberty League Diver of the Year for the fourth time. Kish capped off the 2024-25 campaign with his second appearance at the NCAA Division III Championship. This year, he earned All-America first team accolades from both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards with a top seven finish in both events. In the 1-meter dive, he tallied a score of 492.65 to finish fifth and from the 3-meter, he recorded a score of 476.10 points for seventh. At the Liberty League Championship, Kish was named the Liberty League Diver of the Meet for the fourth consecutive season. He swept both championship diving events for the first time since 2023 and the third time in his career (2022, 2023, 2025). He was the 3-meter board champion for the third straight year with a score of 583.30 points. From the 1-meter, he totaled a score of 552.64.
Rookie of the Year: Josh Berty, Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT first-year Josh Berty earned Liberty League Rookie of the Year honors. At his first conference championship in February, he posted a victory in the 1,650-yard freestyle in record breaking fashion with a championship record time of 15:57.71. He cruised to victory, winning by nearly 22 seconds en route to shattering the record of 16:07.76 set at the 2023 championship. Berty was also the top rookie finisher in the 500-yard freestyle, placing fourth overall at 4:36.86, and he was ninth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:41.82). He and teammates Eric Noga, Miles Lim, and Stephen Graver won the 800-yard freestyle relay combining for a time of 6:46.16 and winning by six seconds.
Coaching Staff of the Year: Rochester Institute of Technology – Head Coach Phil Baretela; Diving Coach Cliff Devries and Assistant Coach Dan Dubois
For the fifth consecutive season, Phil Baretela and his staff garnered Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year accolades. The Tigers claimed their fourth straight Liberty League title by compiling 1,688 total points over the four-day championship. They had seven individual event victories and RIT earned top honors in all five relays at the championship. 13 were recognized with All-Liberty League honors in 20 different events, including an All-League sweep in the 100-yard butterfly (Drew Scheib, Mike Atanasoff, Ryan Clancy) and 200-yard individual medley (Drew Scheib, Ben Sippel, Edrick Nguyen). The coaching staff directed seven (five swimmers, two divers) to the NCAA Championships—Drew Scheib, Mike Atanasoff, Ben Sippel, Ryan Clancy, Eric Noga, Gellert Kish, and Luke Albanese. It was the third straight year RIT was represented at NCAAs and as a team, the Tigers tied for 17th with 82 points among 47 teams. Three RIT relays earned All-America honors: 200 freestyle (7th,1:20.40), 200 medley (14th, 1:29.16), and 400 medley (14th, 3:16.86). Both divers were All-American with Kish placing among the top seven from both boards and Albanese placing among the top 10 in both events. Atanasoff (50-yard freestyle, 12th, 20.10 seconds) and Scheib (100-yard butterfly, 48.38) were also All-America honorees as individuals.
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE FIRST TEAM (Event Champions at Liberty League Championship)
1-Meter Diving – Gellert Kish, RIT
3-Meter Diving – Gellert Kish, RIT
100 Backstroke – Mike Dowd, RPI
200 Backstroke – Jason Weller, RPI
100 Breaststroke – Nicholas Stefandis, RPI
200 Breaststroke – Ben Sippel, RIT
100 Butterfly – Drew Scheib, RIT
200 Butterfly – Drew Scheib, RIT
50 Freestyle – Matthew Mitros, Ithaca
100 Freestyle – Mike Dowd, RPI
200 Freestyle – Mike Dowd, RPI
500 Freestyle – Ryan Cooke, Ithaca
1650 Freestyle – Josh Berty, RIT
200 Individual Medley – Drew Scheib, RIT
400 Individual Medley – Ryan Delfico, Skidmore
200 Freestyle Relay – RIT (M. Atanasoff, E. Noga, R. Clancy, D. Scheib)
400 Freestyle Relay – RIT (Sapp, K. Louie, E. Noga, D. Scheib)
800 Freestyle Relay – RIT (E. Noga, M. Lim, S. Graver, J. Berty)
200 Medley Relay – RIT (D. Scheib, B. Sippel, M. Atanasoff, R. Clancy)
400 Medley Relay – RIT (D. Scheib, B. Sippel, M. Atanasoff, E. Noga)
Note: The Liberty League also recognizes second-place finishes at the championship as All-Liberty League Second Team and third place garners All-Liberty League Third Team honors.