Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive Conference (PCSC) awards were announced Friday with Biola Head Coach Eddie Shepard and swimmer Christine Tixier noted as the best in their categories.
Shepard was awarded the PCSC Women’s Coach of the Year in the NAIA division for leading the women’s team to an eighth place finish in the PCSC Championship meet and a top-10 finish in the NAIA National Swim and Dive Championships.
Christine Tixier added to her litany of accomplishments by earning the PCSC Female Swimmer of the Year for NAIA swimmers. She was selected on the merit of her three top-10 finishes at the PCSC Championship meet, highlighted by her second place finish in the 200-yard butterfly.
This is the first year the conference offered end of the season awards. The awards were decided by votes from every coach in the conference. Concordia’s Jeff Boss and Kevin Donnelly won the NAIA men’s coach and men’s swimmer awards, respectively.
The award highlights the streak of success Coach Shepard has the Eagles on. Shepard has lead the Eagles for nine seasons with the women’s teams finishing in the top-10 at the national meet in seven of the seasons. In March, Shepard led the Eagles to unprecedented levels, achieving 14 school records at the national meet. The women placed seventh overall, tying the best finish in the program’s history.
Tixier adds this award to her NAIA Women’s Swimmer of the Year that she received following her incredible performance at the NAIA Championship meet. She won three NAIA Individual National Titles (100-, 200-butterfly, 200-IM), and she set school records in all eight of the events she swam in. She also bettered her NAIA record time in the 100-butterfly to 54.35 seconds. Tixier, a junior, will look to repeat in both awards next season.
Lisa Tregboff earned the PCSC Dive Coach of the Year for the NAIA. She guided Alyssa Roden to Biola’s first-ever diving appearance at the NAIA National meet.