SUWANEE, Ga. – Asbury University sophomore Ethan Bonow and Colorado College junior Nico Rimer were named the league’s male Swimmer and Diver of the Year, respectively, based on exclusive voting by the head coaches and sports information directors of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. 2026 All-SCAC Team
Bonow, a sophomore from Crawford, Texas, won all three of his events at the 2026 SCAC Swimming & Diving Championships, notching a pair of conference meet and open records and earned SCAC Swimmer-of-the-Meet honors. Bonow's individual titles came in the 50 free (20.00), 100 free (44.38) and 100 fly (47.38) making him just the fifth male swimmer in SCAC history to win the 50 free, 100 fly and 100 free at the same championship meet - joining conference legends Michael Kohl of Trinity (2022, 2023, 2024), Stephen Culberson of Trinity (2014 and 2015), Jordan DeGayner of Colorado College (2011) and Robert Alexander of DePauw University (2007 and 2008).
Bonow's first individual prelim at the SCAC Championship broke the conference meet record in the 50 free, but the sophomore turned it up in the finals to hit the wall in 20.00 flat, shaving another .03 off the mark he had set earlier in the day and breaking the conference's open record mark. The previous record had been set in 2015 by Trinity University's Stephen Culberson at the 2015 NCAA Division III Championships when Colberson earned the individual national title in the event.
Following the SCAC Championship, Bonow placed fifth in the nation in the 100 fly, hitting the wall in 47.74 to earn All-American accolades. The sophomore earned a spot in the finals after posting a prelim time of 47.69. Bonow now owns the highest single finish in the 100-yard butterfly in SCAC history and his fifth-place finish is the best performance in any event by a male swimmer since 2015.
In addition to his All-American certificate, Bonow also competed in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle at nationals. He secured 38th nationally in the 50, hitting the wall in 20.44 and then closed out his National Championships Meet by earning 19th in the 100 with a time of 44.52.
Rimer, a native of Cambridge, Ma., took the top spot on the 3-meter board to earn his first career diving title, en route to SCAC Diver-of-the-Meet honors, with a score of 369.95 points. Rimer took over the top spot on the scoreboard after the seventh round and never let go, earning his first all-conference performance after barely missing out with a fourth-place finish on the high board in 2025. Rimer is the second straight CC diver to earn a victory in the event and third overall, following teammate Wyatt Wellehan from a year ago and Austin Howlett (2012, 2013 and 2014). The junior also placed second on the 1-meter board.
Rimer was also the top SCAC finisher at the NCAA Diving III Regionals placing 21st in the 3-meter competition with 329.60 points in his first regional appearance. He then followed that by finishing inside the top-20 in 18th place in the men's 1-meter competition with an 11-dive score of 341.15.
Rimer is the third Colorado College diver to earn SCAC Diver of the Year honors, joining Wyatt Wellehan (2025) and Austin Howlett who secured the award four straight times from 2012-2015.
Additionally, in an announcement that was made at the close of the conference championship meet, the University of St. Thomas (Tex.) staff - led by head coach Hanna Huston, along with assistant coach Naomi Filkin - earned SCAC Men's Coaching Staff-of-the-Year honors. The award marked the first for Huston and the Celt swimming program, which is just completing its third season as a varsity program.
