Nathan Lile Named CCSA Men's Swimmer of the Year And Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year For Second Time In Two Seasons
May 06, 2016 | Swimming
CHARLOTTE – Gardner-Webb standout Nathan Lile added to his heavy collection of awards and accolades Friday, as he was named Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Men's Swimmer of the Year and Men's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Lile (Waynesville, N.C. / Home School) swept the conference's major awards for the second time in two seasons – capping a spectacular career with the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Lile earned All-CCSA honors 21 times over four seasons at the annual conference meet and won six individual CCSA titles during that time. This past season was his most notable in the pool, as he became the first men's swimmer in Gardner-Webb history to qualify for the NCAA Division I Swimming & Diving Championships.
Lile qualified in the 50 free and 100 free and competed at the championships in Atlanta from March 23-26. Gardner-Webb began the sport of men's swimming in 2007-2008.
Lile's qualifying time of 19.49 seconds in the 50 free was established at the 2016 Bulldog Invitational in Athens, Ga., on February 27. It ranked as one of the nation's top-25 times entering the NCAA meet. It was one of six different races where Lile swam that distance in less than 20 seconds during his senior season.
He posted a qualifying time of 43.05 in the 100 free at the 2016 CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships one week earlier (February 20) – a top-30 time nationally entering the NCAA meet.
At the 2016 CCSA Swimming & Diving Championships, Lile set four Conference records, won three individual events, and was a pivotal part of two relay victories.
Lile's exploits in the pool were matched by his excellence in the classroom, where he forged a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average with a double major in computer science and philosophy. A nominee for Academic All-America honors, Lile was recently honored with Gardner-Webb's Computer Science Award, The M. Van Murrell Bible Award and The Philosophy and Theology Award.
He was also recognized this semester to "Who's Who Among Students in American University and Colleges." He was awarded the prestigious Elite 90 Award at the NCAA Championships, which is given to the top scholar-athlete competing in each of the NCAA's championship events.
Lile isn't finished with his swimming career, as he will swim in the 50 free, 100 fly and the 100 back at the 2016 Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, from June 26-July 3 at the CenturyLink Center.
