BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo men's swimming and diving squad presented its team awards for the 2000-01 season at the annual Athletic Awards Banquet held at Samuel's Grande Manor.

Head coach Budd Termin made the following presentations: Alan Lowe (Brownsville, TX) was selected as the Top Newcomer; Tony Lizauckas (Kenmore, NY) earned the Most Improved Player Award; Eric Stimson (North Tonawanda, NY) received the Coach's Award; and Jason McLachlan (Arvada, CO) was named the team's Most Valuable Player.

The Top Newcomer Award is presented to the individual student- athlete who distinguishes himself as the most talented new player on the team or the individual who accomplishes the greatest achievements as a first-year player. Lowe, a freshman distance specialist, was UB's top swimmer in the 1000 freestyle, turning in a 9:52.28 time during the season. Lowe was the only UB swimmer to break the 10-minute barrier in the event. He also turned in a 500 freestyle mark of 4:43.69 and 1650 freestyle time of 16:51.74. Both times were second on the team behind McLachlan. Other top times for Lowe included 22.63 in the 50 freestyle, 50.20 in the 100 freestyle, 1:50.52 in the 200 freestyle, 2:03.92 in the 200 butterfly and 4:25.82 in the 400 individual medley.

The Most Improved Player Award is presented to the student- athlete who has made the greatest stride or improvement in his performance from the previous season or from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. Lizauckas, a sophomore backstroker, turned in top marks of 22.33 in the 50 freestyle and 54.38 in the 100 backstroke, the second-fastest on the team in both events. He also clocked a 1:49.47 in the 200 freestyle and a 1:57.47 in the 200 backstroke. Lizauckas also was part of UB's 200 free relay squad (1:25.47) and 800 free relay team (6:56.95) that turned in Bulls' season-best times at the MAC Championships in both events.

The Coach's Award is selected by the head coach and is given to the student-athlete who best exemplifies the team virtues as defined by the head coach. The recipient is one who stands out in dedication, commitment, unselfishness and enthusiasm towards helping the team improve. Stimson, a senior backstroke and IM specialist, placed fourth in the 100 backstroke at the prestigious ECAC Championships in a season-best 51.62. He also turned in a top time of 1:51.23 in the 200 backstroke. Stimson led the Bulls in both the 200 breaststroke (2:12.68) and 200 IM (1:56.41).

The Most Valuable Player Award is given to the student-athlete who makes the most significant contribution to the accomplishments of the team through his skills and leadership. McLachlan , another senior backstroke and IM specialist, set three school records at the MAC Championships, earning first-team All-MAC honors. McLachlan opened the meet by breaking Ray Willie's 10-year old mark in the 500 freestyle. McLachlan finished second in the finals in 4:31.47, breaking Willie's record by eight-hundreths of a second. The following day, McLachlan broke his own mark in the 400 IM, finishing second in 3:57.87, snapping his old mark by nearly four seconds and becoming the first Bull to swim the event in under four minutes. McLachlan concluded his impressive MAC run by breaking the 200 backstroke record twice. In the morning preliminaries, he turned in a 1:49.07, breaking Korry Miller's 1997 record by a quarter second. In the finals, McLachlan bettered his earlier time with a 1:48.70 showing, again finishing second in the race. McLachlan also led the Bulls in the 1650 freestyle, clocking a 16:04.49 for the grueling mile distance.

The Bulls completed their season with a 2-8 dual meet record and were 0-7 in Mid-American Conference meets. UB placed seventh at the MAC Championships in Oxford, OH and eighth in a 32-team field at the ECAC Championships in Sewell, NJ.