Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University freshman Paige Schmidt (Clearwater, Fla.) and senior Gus Chagas (Recife, Brazil) have been named the Blue Grass Mountain Conference Swimmers of the Year, as selected by the league’s coaches. Both swimmers had impressive conference championship meets, as both student-athletes won two events and posted several All-BGMC honors each.

Both swimmers continued their exploits on the national stage, where they also put on strong displays. Wingate head coach Kirk Sanocki shows no surprise in how his swimmers performed this year. “Based on how these two performed all season and the work they put in throughout the year, it didn’t surprise me at all on how they finished the year,” Sanocki acknowledges.

A distance swimmer for the Bulldogs, Schmidt won the 1000 Freestyle and 1650 Freestyle at the 2010 BGMC meet in Charlotte. In addition, she set the meet record for the fastest 1000 Freestyle ever swam at a BGMC championship. “Any time a freshman steps up and performs well in their first swim…on a big stage…it’s a plus because experience helps so much at this level,” Sanocki says. “You never know how a young swimmer will react.”

Sanocki was not surprised by the performance but perhaps her swim surprised her. “Paige’s first (BGMC) performance surprised her, but this reaction only led to increased confidence that carried through to the NCAA championships…where she swam the same race even faster,” Sanocki says.

Schmidt personally owns four team records; she was named first team All-American for her 1000 Freestyle in Canton, Ohio. The future definitely looks bright for this young talented swimmer; the Bulldogs look forward to having a strong up-and-coming leader for the next three years.

At Monday’s Wingate athletic awards banquet, Schmidt was named the 2009-10 Freshman Female Athlete of the Year. In addition, she was recognized as the Bulldog women’s swimming team MVP.

Chagas ended his senior season the same way he finished his freshman year, as conference swimmer of the year and a national champion. This time, he won two titles in the same year, taking home the crown in the 200 Freestyle and the 400 Freestyle relay. In addition to winning the same events at the BGMC championships, Chagas was All-BGMC in seven total events and first team All-American in the same seven events.

“When you put in the type of work Gus puts in…as a senior in your last year of collegiate swimming…you will do well,” Sanocki says. “The experience acquired over four years of high level competition combined with the emotion coming from your last championships combine to make the perfect storm and you can see the results.”

Chagas has led the men’s team to three straight conference titles as well as the highest national rankings in school history the part two seasons. In his career, he was won three national titles, 10 conference titles and has been named first team All-American in 24 events. In addition, Chagas has been named to the maximum 28 All-BGMC teams. His presence will be sorely missed as the Bulldogs will look to replace a legend next year.

On Monday night, Chagas was named the 2009-10 winner of the J. Howard Williams Award for Male Athlete of the Year at Wingate University. He shared the honor with Wingate junior men’s soccer All-American Luke Mulholland (Preston, England). Chagas was also honored as the MVP for Wingate men’s swimming, sharing the distinction with senior teammate Mason Norman (Duluth, Ga.).

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past three years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 34 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.

(Wingate University junior Daniel Hoagland contributed this article. Hoagland is a Chemistry major from Wilmington, N.C.)