WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY SWIMMING & DIVING
LIZ ILIFF ASSISTANT COACH 10TH SEASON AT WEST VIRGINIA
Liz Iliff is in her 10th season as an assistant coach with the West Virginia swimming and diving program. With a shortened season, Iliff still managed to help WVU see success in and out of the pool. At the Big 12 Championships, nine Mountaineers earned a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team, while 19 were recognized on the All-Big 12 Second Team. The men’s squad earned their sixth consecutive second-place finish, while the women finished fourth. Additionally, the West Virginia collected 11 medals at Big 12’s, four silver and seven bronze. The women’s 200 freestyle relay
accounted for one silver medal setting a new program record, touching in 1:31.05. Senior, David Dixon, became the first Mountaineer from the men’s squad to have four consecutive NCAA Championship appearances; he took 12th in the 200 butterfly to earn Honorable Mention AllAmerican Honors. Dixon also represented WVU at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, competing in the 200-meter butterfly and the 200-meter IM. Academically, Iliff helped lead 40 Mountaineers to become recognized as a part of the 2021 Academic All-Big 12 Swimming & Diving Team; eight studentathletes earned the honor with a 4.0 GPA. Seniors, Kayla Gagnon and Ryen Van Wyk were named recipients of the 2021 Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award. Once again, both squads earn CSCAA Scholar All-America honors during the 202021 campaign. Iliff helped produce another stellar season for the Mountaineers in 2019-20, as the squad moved into its new home at the Aquatic Center at Mylan Park. The team hosted nine home meets, including the WVU Invitational and the 2020 Big 12 Championship. At the Big 12 Championship, the men’s team finished second, while the women placed fifth. The Mountaineers collected 11 total medals at the conference meet, including five silver and six bronze. Twelve members of the squad were named to the All-Big 12 First Team. Four members of the men’s squad qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships, including a pair of divers and two swimmers in junior David Dixon and freshman Hunter Armstrong. Although the championships were cancelled due to the COVID-19
ILIFF AT A GLANCE BORN: October 24 HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, Ohio ALMA MATER: Missouri, 2007 (Bachelor’s) SWIMMING EXPERIENCE: 2002-06: Missouri NCAA COACHING EXPERIENCE at New Mexico State Women: 2012 at West Virginia Men and Women: 2013-Present
INDIVIDUAL ALL-AMERICANS
2013 Rachael Burnett 2013 Mandie Nugent 2014 Bryce Bohman 2018 Jake Armstrong 2018 Morgan Bullock 2020 Hunter Armstrong* 2020 David Dixon* * Selection criteria altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic
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pandemic, the four qualifiers were honored as CSCAA All-Americans after the CSCAA Board altered the All-America selection criteria. The honors were the first for the Mountaineers since 2014. In addition to their success in the pool, Iliff helped guide the team to success in the classroom as well. Thirty-one Mountaineers were named to the 2020 Academic AllBig 12 Team, with seven student-athletes earning the distinction with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages. Additionally, seniors Ryan Kelly and Jack Portmann were named recipients of the Dr. Gerald Lage Academic Achievement Award. Iliff played a major role in the season-long training and development that led to an accomplished season in 2018-19. The season featured three NCAA qualifiers, two Big 12 individual champions, nine combined school records and extensive academic accolades. Sophomore David Dixon earned a pair of Big 12 individual championships, becoming the first Mountaineer to win multiple titles at the conference meet since 2014. Nine WVU swimmers collected All-Big 12 First Team honors, while 12 others landed on the Second Team. Three swimmers – senior Jake Armstrong, junior Morgan Bullock and Dixon – qualified for the 2019 NCAA Championships. 2018-19 proved to be another successful academic year for WVU, as the two teams were again named CSCAA Scholar AllAmerica Teams. Individually, seven studentathletes were named CSCAA Scholar All-America Individuals, while 29 earned Academic All-Big 12 honors. Junior Ryan Kelly was honored as the Big 12 Men’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, marking the fifth consecutive season WVU has won the conference honor. In 2017-18, the Mountaineers’ season featured five NCAA qualifiers, two honorable mention All-Americans, two Big 12 individual champions, 15 combined school records, an undefeated dual-meet season for the men’s team and a variety of academic accomplishments. Juniors Jake Armstrong (100 breaststroke) and Tristen Di Sibio (200 breaststroke) won conference titles at the 2018 Big 12 Championship, leading a group of 15 Mountaineers to the All-Big 12 First Team. Twelve others reached the Second Team. WVU also featured five swimmers who qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2017-18 – Armstrong, Morgan Bullock, Di Sibio, David Dixon and Emma Harris. For the men, it was the most swimmers qualify for the national meet since 2014, while the two women’s qualifiers became WVU’s first since 2013.
