COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College men's swimming & diving senior Rafael Kowal (Plattsburgh, N.Y./Plattsburgh/Alfred State) was named Northeast 10 Conference Swimmer of the Week and women's swimming & diving first-year Olivia Larsen (Riverview, New Brunswick/Riverview) landed NE10 Rookie of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, Nov. 23. Larsen earned her second rookie accolade for swimming after also being named NE10 Rookie of the Week once this past fall for tennis.
 
Kowal won twice to help the Purple Knights claim the five-team North Country Invitational over the weekend, notching a pair of top times in the NE10 this season among five top-four times in the league. While capturing the 1,650-yard freestyle, he clocked the best time in the NE10 this winter (16:38.55) by more than 37 seconds. It also surpassed Nate Imbergamo's '20 six-year-old school record by 12.77 seconds. Kowal won the 500 free (4:44.28) with the NE10's second-best time this year while placing second in the 200-yard backstroke (1:56.03) with the league's best time. He swam for the runner-up 200-yard medley relay (1:39.28), 400 medley relay (3:36.05) and 400 free relay (3:15.55); the 400 medley clocked the third-best time in the NE10 this season, and the 400 free quartet is fourth in the conference.
 
In his third year on the team, Kowal is already fourth in program history in total career wins (73) and second in individual victories (57), three shy of Connor Hopkins' '20 school mark. He leads the team in overall (19) and solo (16) triumphs this winter.
 
Larsen earned four wins among five top-two showings while helping the Purple Knights win the North Country Invitational over the weekend. Her win in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:33.50) was good for the ninth-fastest time in the NE10 this year, and she added victories in the 100 breast (1:11.26), 200 medley relay (1:56.95) and 400 medley relay (4:15.64). Larsen captured second in the 200-yard individual medley (2:19.29). Despite missing two meets due to tennis, she is one shy of the team lead in individual wins (11) while standing fourth in total wins (15).
 
Both swimming & diving teams stand 6-1 heading into a month-long break from competition. In the meantime, Kowal, junior Madeline Waldt (Abingdon, Md./The Catholic High School of Baltimore) and sophomore Lucas Haynes (Holliston, Mass./Holliston) will compete in the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) College National Open Water Championship on Dec. 13 in Sarasota, Fla.