IUP junior Jackie Hynson (King George, VA/King George) has been named the PSAC women's swimmer of the year while Chris Villa earned conference coach of the year honors for the 2010-11 season.

Hynson is the first IUP swimmer to win the award voted on by the conference head coaches since Petra Adamkova in 2000 while Villa is fourth different IUP coach to be honored and first since Dave Caldwell in 2003.

Hynson, from King George, Va., starred at both the PSAC and NCAA meets earlier this month, winning three conference titles while earning All-America accolades in four events.

At the PSAC championships Hynson won the 200 backstroke (2:01.09) to set a new conference meet record as well as capturing the 200 butterfly (2:02.92) and 400 IM (4:25.77) and was a member of three relay teams that finished in the top five. She had the top time in the PSAC this season in those three events as well as the 200 IM.

Hynson went on to place third in the 200 backstroke (1:59.45) and 200 butterfly (2:00.85) at the NCAA meet for the second straight year and break the all-time PSAC records in those events. She also took sixth in the 400 IM and 13th in the 200 IM and scored a total of 49 points, the most by any woman from the PSAC.

In breaking the PSAC marks in the 200 backstroke and butterfly, Hynson became one of only three swimmers from schools other than Clarion and West Chester to hold a conference record. She holds the IUP record in six events, including the 100 and 200 backstroke, 100 and 200 butterfly and 200 and 400 IM.

Villa led the Crimson Hawks from 10th place at the 2010 PSAC meet to fourth this year and only one point out of third. The team sent two swimmers to nationals – Hynson and sophomore Ashley McAteer (Irwin/Penn-Trafford) – and was 19th in the team standings. In addition to Hynson's achievements, McAteer was 13th in the 50 freestyle and also qualified in the 100 freestyle.

Several other IUP women met the NCAA provisional qualifying mark but did not make the cut to compete at nationals.

Villa oversaw the development of a host of sophomores that dramatically improved IUP's fortunes this season. Joining McAteer as top second-year swimmers were Ally Long (Frederick, MD/Frederick) and Lauren Alshouse (Lancaster/Conestoga Valley) while Allyson Mitidieri (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) and Christina Janosky (Dover, Pa. /Dover ) turned in outstanding freshman seasons.

McAteer (50/100/200 freestyle), Long (500/1000/1650 freestyle), Mitidieri (200/400 IM, 200 breaststroke) and Janosky (200/500/1000 freestyle) each scored in three individual events at the PSAC meet while Alshouse scored in the 100 and 500 freestyle.

McAteer tied Adamkova's 11-year-old school record with a time of 23.49 in the 50 freestyle while Mitidieri set school marks in the 100 breastroke (1:05.65) and 200 breaststroke (2:22.08) while also establishing freshman records in the 200 and 400 IM. Janosky also set a freshman record in the 500 freestyle.

In all, a total of 14 school and seven freshmen women's records have been broken since Villa became head coach prior to the 2006-07 season.