WASHINGTON - The Atlantic 10 Conference has selected Fordham graduate student Guy Gropper and George Mason freshman Alex Crown its Men’s Swimming and Diving Performer and Rookie Performer of the Week. On the women’s side, George Washington junior Ava DeAngelis and Richmond freshman Melissa Nwakalor garnered Women’s Performer and Rookie Performer, respectively. The awards, announced Tuesday, are for meets held Jan. 23-29.
 
Hailing from Haifa, Israel, Gropper won both the 50 freestyle and the 100 butterfly to help Fordham defeat Iona, 162-126. The graduate student’s 50 free time of 20.57 is the eighth-best in the Atlantic 10 this year and the best time this past week. Gropper also won the 100 butterfly with a 51.13 time, defeating the field by over a full second.  
 
Crown, a Gainesville, Va. native, won both the 1000-yard freestyle (9:30.80) and 200-yard IM (1:54.09) and placed second in the 200-yard backstroke (1:53.80) in George Mason’s 188-110 win over UMBC on Saturday. The freshman’s 1000-free time is the fifth best in the Atlantic 10 this season and his 200-back time is the 26^th-best. Crown is currently the 13^th ranked swimmer in the Atlantic 10.
 
DeAngelis, a native of Duxbury, Mass., secured top-four finishes in all four meets she competed in highlighted by a first place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke with a 1:02.12 time, the third-best in the Atlantic 10 this season. The third ranked swimmer in the A-10, DeAngelis’ 200-yard breaststroke time of 2:17.07 ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 this season.
 
Nwakalor, a product of Columbia, Md., took three first place finishes in all three of her events. In the 50-free, Nwakalor blew past her competitors with a mark of 23.29, the seventh-best time in the Atlantic 10 this season. The 100-free was no different as Nwakalor took her second first place finish at 52.44. Following her individual victories, she jumped back into action with the 200 medley relay, where the Spiders earned a first place finish at 1:34.42. Nwakalor's 23.02 split accounted for the fastest 50 free time for all swimmers Saturday.