BATON ROUGE - Thirteen LSU swimmers and divers received yearly awards for their work during the 2000-01 dual-meet season on Monday as the LSU swimming and diving program held its annual banquet.

"I'm extremely proud of the way that our teams performed this season," said LSU head coach Jeff Cavana. "We had a lot of individuals achieve career highs this season and they also accomplished some outstanding goals. I am also proud of the goals that we achieved as a team. We finished well at the NCAA Championships this year and we're looking forward to next season."

Mandy Leach and Ken "Buzz" Kuhn earned the prestigious High Point Awards for being the LSU men's and women's swimmers that scored the most points during the season. Leach was an All-America selection in both the 100-yard freestyle and butterfly competitions.

The Most Valuable Performer Award was given to Ashley Culpepper from the women's diving team and the Tigers' Erik Petursson. Culpepper earned three-time All-American honors in the 1-meter, 3-meter, and platform diving events, while Petursson was an All-America selection in the men's 1-meter springboard diving competition.

LSU divers Jamie Watkins and Corey Fox garnered the 2000-01 Clutch Awards for their gutty performances in which they came through for the team in the clutch. Watkins was named the 2001 Southeastern Conference Diver of the Year and earned All-American status in all three diving events. Fox, a senior from Carson City, Nevada, also notched All-America honors in the 1-meter, 3-meter, and platform diving events.

The Lady Tigers' Lindsey Mooney and Shannon O'Neal, as well as the Tigers' Will Tanner earned the LSU Coaches Awards on Monday. The Coaches Award is given to the individuals who best exemplify hard work and consistency on a day-to-day basis.

Michelle Coryell and Kyle VanArsdall picked up the Most Improved Performer Awards, while Holly Winters and Martin Latz earned the 2001 Academic Achievement Awards. Coryell, a sophomore from Baton Rouge, qualified for the NCAA Championships this season and placed fourth on the platform diving event. VanArsdall also qualified for the 2001 NCAA Championships as a sophomore.

In addition, three swimmers and divers received post-graduate scholarships. Carly Farrell and Petursson both received $5,000 as finalists for the H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, while Tanner earned $2,000 for the SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship.