The College of Staten Island men’s and women’s swimming and diving squads were honored by the City University of New York Athletic Conference, as the Dolphins were cited with seven total All-Star selections, including a CUNYAC Rookie of the Year nod for Danila Novikov.  The CUNYAC honors come off of the heels of CSI’s participation at the CUNYAC, ECAC Open, and Metropolitan Swim Championships, and before the CSI men will travel to Tennessee for the 2011 NCAA Division III National Championship.
Of the seven selections, six belong to the men’s team, including the Rookie of the Year citation for Novikov, who has had an impeccable year in the pool, qualifying for the NCAA National Championship in the 100-yard Freestyle, and 200 & 400-yard Individual Medleys.  Novikov has blasted the CSI record books in those categories as well.  His mark of 47.03 in the 100 Freestyle and 4:00.24 in the 400 IM are both CSI and CUNYAC records, and Novikov is a part of a foursome in the 200 & 400 Medley Relay, and 200 & 400 Freestyle Relay that also are CSI and CUNYAC record holders.
Joining Novikov on the men’s side are fellow NCAA All-Americans Pavel Buyanov, Nikolay Shevchenko, and Vlad Romanov.  Buyanov is a national finalist in the 50-yard Freestyle and his signature 100 & 200-yard Breaststroke events, where he has a collective three gold medals at nationals.  Romanov is capping another sensational season, and will represent CSI in three individual events as well at nationals, including his signature events, the 100 & 200-yard Backstroke.  Shevchenko, another three time All-American, holds or is a part of 11 CSI and CUNYAC swim records, and will a part of CSI relay teams at the national championships.
First-year sensation Andrey Tarasov broke on to the swim scene during the spring semester, and has a phenomenal start, wasting little time making an impression.  The frosh will join Buyanov as a national finalist in both breaststroke events, and will also represent in the 200-yard Individual Medley.  Sophomore swimmer Joe Lee also earned CUNYAC All-Star honors, landing on the squad for outstanding times this season in the 200 Free Relay, 200 IM, and 100 Free.
Rounding out the list of annals is senior standout Gabriella Villarruel of the women’s swimming and diving team.  A stalwart on the team who comes fresh off of an excellent season with the Women’s Tennis squad, Villarruel is a CSI record holder in 200-yard Butterfly and 200-yard Individual Medley, and is a part of five other records in relay events.  Villarruel signature butterfly event is what merited her a place on the CUNYAC All-Star team.
CSI swam to a second-place finish on the men’s side at the CUNYAC Championship and followed up with strong performances at the ECAC Open and the Metro Championships.  Their trip to Nationals in the fourth-straight for the Dolphins, who placed 14th in the field last year.  The women finalized their season after their trip to the Metro’s, fresh off of a fourth place faring at the CUNYAC Championship.