Conference USA honored the league's most outstanding student-athletes in swimming and diving on Thursday. The recipients were selected by a vote of the Conference USA swimming and diving head coaches. Cincinnati’s Ann Degenstein was named 2005 C-USA Swimmer of the Year, while Houston’s Anna Kiess earned the Diver of the Year accolade, as announced by the conference office.

Degenstein was the 2005 Conference USA champion in the 200-yard butterfly and 500-yard freestyle events. The junior placed 11th at NCAA Championships in 100-yard butterfly with a time of 53.58 and collected a 14th-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly (1:59.00). The Woodlands, Texas native was the only C-USA swimmer to place at the 2005 NCAA Swimming Championships. Degenstein is the C-USA record holder in 100 (54.00) and 200-yard butterfly (1:58.87). Degenstein also holds the Bearcats’ school record in 200-yard butterfly. She is a seven-time C-USA champion and was named to the league’s All-Decade Team in late February.

Kiess was a unanimous selection after wrapping up her sophomore season as the national runner-up with 478.95 points on the platform. It was her best finish at the NCAA Championships and was her third All-America honor during her young career. Kiess captured the one-meter C-USA diving title at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center Natatorium. With 299.15 points, Kiess successfully defended her diving title after taking top honors on the one-meter board as a true freshman. Her score at the 2005 event was more than 30 points ahead of her closest competitor. Kiess received her third All-America honor and was a four-time C-USA Diver of the Week honoree. The Berlin, Germany native finished among the Top Three leaders on the one-meter and three-meter springboard events at the NCAA Zone D Championships.

Additional individual awards were previously announced at the 2005 C-USA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship and Men’s Invitational in late February. Tulane earned its first Conference USA Women’s Swimming and Diving title in just its second year as a Division I program. The Green Wave claimed the 2005 C-USA Championship title after posting a first place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay, the final event of the meet. Tulane’s head coach Daniella Irle earned the 2005 C-USA Coach of the Year honors. Defending 2004 Swimmer of the Year Diane Parker of East Carolina earned 2005 Swimmer of the Meet, while Azul Almazan of Houston took the Diver of the Meet honor. Louisville’s Amanda Taylor was named the league’s Freshman Swimmer of the Year after setting a school record on the leadoff leg in he 50 back with a time of 27.24 and posting a pool record and another U of L record time of 4:22.79 in the women's 400-yard individual medley relay. ECU’s Christi Icenhower claimed the Freshman Diver of the Year accolades with a fourth-place finish in the finals of the one-meter diving event. For the fourth consecutive year, Houston’s Jane Figueiredo was named Diving Coach of the Year. Her UH divers swept the platform awards and continue to collect diving honors with their fourth consecutive C-USA platform title, while never dropping a one-meter or three-meter springboard title in the conference meet.