PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Westfield State swimming and diving head coach Dave Laing has been named the 2017-18 Little East Conference coach of the year, the league office announced on Tuesday.

Laing, now in his 36^th season at Westfield State, coached the Owls to an 8-1 dual meet record, and a program-best second place finish at the Little East Conference Championships, where diver Monique Groux and swimmer Kelsey Johnstone each earned All-Little East Honors.

Laing, the only head coach the Owls' program has ever known, earned his 200^th career win earlier this season.

"I can't think of a more deserving person," said Owls junior Shannon Fitzsimmons. ""He works tirelessly to make sure we are prepared, both in the pool and in the classroom and he deserves to be recognized more than anyone."

Laing led the Owls team to a fourth place finish at this past weekend's New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving Association championships, where the Owls set 13 school records, and Johnstone won a pair of events. The Owls had swimmers win 15 all-new England awards in individual events and the Owls 400 freestyle relay team also earned All-New England status.

"He made sure the energy we had as a team did not die the entire weekend, whether we were tired, or someone was down after a result," said Fitzsimmons. "He made sure we were all excited and didn't give up, and was nothing but positive the entire weekend."

The Owls eight wins this season were the second most in program history, and the Owls .889 winning percentage is also the second best mark in school history.

"We definitely had great talent, and coach Laing does a great job organizing us, and challenging us to improve, by using our strengths as a team to help develop each other," added Fitzsimmons.

Laing, a Wilbraham resident, who started the Owls' swimming and diving program for the 1982-83 season, will return for his 37^th year leading the program in 2018-19.

Little East Conference Awards Release