MELBOURNE, Fla. – Former Florida Southern College swimming star Jeb Halfacre and head coach Duncan Sherrard have been named the Sunshine State Conference Men's Swimmer of the Decade and Coach of the Decade, respectively. Along with Sherrard, seven former student-athletes represented the Mocs on the SSC All-Decade Teams.
 
Halfacre earned the Swimmer of the Decade award and All-Decade First Team honors after a record-breaking three-year career at Florida Southern from 2010-2013. An NCAA national champion in 2011 and 2012, Halfacre was a 28-time All-American and set three NCAA and 15 SSC swimming records. During his time at Florida Southern, Halfacre won the SSC Swimmer of the Year and was placed on the All-SSC First Team all three years. Halfacre was a two-time SSC Male Athlete of the Year winner and named the 2011 Hal Smeltzly Award for the FSC Male Athlete of the Year.
 
Sherrard had this to say to Halfacre on the award: "Congratulations to Jeb Halfacre for his award!  You encapsulate the experience that it is not remembered how you begin but how you finish that matters the most. And for that, FSC swimming became a powerhouse thanks to your dedication." Respected by his teammates, Halfacre won the FSC Team MVP four times. While at Florida Southern, Halfacre helped the men's swimming team win four SSC titles and NCAA National Runner-Up in 2013.
 
Sherrard coached the Mocs from 2009-2015 to become the most decorated FSC swimming coach to date. A four-time SSC Coach of the Year, Sherrard guided a combined 203 All-American performances with a top-15 NCAA finish in each year. During his time at Florida Southern, Sherrard led the team in back-to-back NCAA runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014. "On behalf of Florida Southern College I am honored to have received this award," said Sherrard. "Thank you to the student-athletes who believed in the vision I had for the program and who endured countless hours practicing to achieve success." Sherrard led the Mocs to three consecutive SSC team championships and 29 All-SSC selections.
 
Florida Southern led the conference in All-Decade team honors with seven athletes highlighted.  The past decade was a success for the Mocs men's swimming team, which earned four consecutive SSC championships and finished in the top three of the conference in every year of the decade. Representing the Mocs on the All-Decade First Team were Miguel Ferreira, Allan Gutierrez, Matthew Holmes, and Halfacre. Ferreira was a 16-time All-American with five SSC individual titles while a member of the 2013 National Runner-Up team. Placing third in an individual NCAA event, Ferreira held five SSC and one national record. Also a member of the 2013 National Runner-Up team, Gutierrez added two NCAA national championships. A 21-time All-American, Gutierrez had three runner-up finishes in the SSC as an individual while helping the men's relays to multiple event wins. Rounding out the Mocs All-Decade First Team honor is Holmes who was an 18-time All-American. A two-time SSC Male Swimmer of the Year, Holmes holds two NCAA national championships and five SSC titles.
 
Three former Mocs, Luis Jasso, Marco Palacios, and Luis Rojas, were voted in the All-Decade Second Team for the conference. Jasso had 13 All-American nominations to add to a runner-up and third-place finish in the NCAA championships during his time. A two-time conference individual title winner, Jasso currently holds the 200-yard breaststroke record at FSC. Palacios earned six SSC individual titles and broke five SSC records in his collegiate career. In addition to being named the All-SSC First team two years in a row, Palacios was a 17-time All-American. Another member of the decorated NCAA National team finishes, Rojas was named SSC Freshman of the Year in 2012 and All-SSC First Team each of his four years. Rojas won three conference individual titles and was named All-American 27 times.
 
All-Decade voting took place among the league's administrators and swimming coaches.
 
Duncan Sherrard, SSC Coach of the Decade

• Four-time SSC Coach of the Year
• A combined 203 All-American performances
• Top-15 NCAA ranking each year as head coach at FSC
• NCAA Runner-Up team performances in 2013 and 2014
• Three-SSC Championships and 29 All-SSC selections

Jeb Halfacre, SSC Swimmer of the Decade, All-Decade First Team

• NCAA National Champion in 2011 and 2012, with two runner-up and four third-place titles
• 28-time All-American
• Holder of three NCAA records and 15 SSC records
• Earned All-SSC First Team and SSC Swimmer of the Year three years in a row
• Two-time SSC Male Athlete of the Year Award
• Five-time SSC Individual title holder, added to one runner-up and third place individual winner
• Member of national runner-up team in 2013
• During relays, won four SSC titles and one NCAA title
• Named 2011 Hal Smeltzly Award for the FSC Male Athlete of the Year

Miguel Ferreira, All-Decade First Team

• Two-time NCAA runner-up and one third-place title
• 16-time All-American
• Holder of NCAA record in 400 MR with five SSC records
• Member of national runner-up team in 2012 and 2013
• Named All-SSC First Team two times, and placed on Second Team in 2012
• Earned five SSC individual titles with two runner-up wins
• Placed first in NCAA during relays in three occasions, with six SSC relay titles

Allan Gutierrez, All-Decade First Team

• 21-time All-American
• Member of two relay national championship relay teams
• Held two NCAA records and four SSC records during career
• Named to the All-SSC Second Team in 2012 and 2013
• SSC runner-up three times with a third place finish twice
• SSC title winner as member of team relays six times, and five second or third-place finishes

Matthew Holmes, All-Decade First Team

• Two-time NCAA national champion, with one runner-up and third place finish
• 18-time All-American
• Four-time All-SSC First Team winner, and the 2018 and 2019 SSC Male Swimmer of the Year
• Five Individual SSC Titles with two runner-up wins for his five SSC records
• In relays, second in NCAA three times with multiple top three SSC finishes
• 2019 recipient of the Pat McFadden Award Winner as the FSC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Luis Jasso, All-Decade Second Team

• NCAA runner up in 200 breaststroke and third in 100 breaststroke during 2018 season
• 13-time All-American
• Two SSC individual titles with five runner-up and one third place titles
• Named to All-SSC First Team in 2018 and Second Team in 2017
• Holder of top FSC 200-yard breaststroke time

Marco Palacios, All-Decade Second Team

• NCAA runner up in 100 (2016) and 200 back (2017) with a third place finish in 100 back in 2017
• 17-time All-American
• Six-time SSC individual title holder with one third place SSC finish
• Holder of five SSC records
• Named SSC Swimmer-of-the-Week 11/6/2016
• Two-time FSC Team MVP winner

Luis Rojas, All-Decade Second Team

• NCAA runner up in 2013 with two third place individual finishes
• Member of 800 freestyle relay NCAA championship team in 2012
• 27-time All-American
• Earned All-SSC First Team all four years, winning SSC Freshman of the Year in 2012
• Member of national runner-up team twice, with a national team third-place finish in 2014
• SSC Individual Title winner three times with three runner-up and two third-place finishes
• Three-time SSC Swimmer-of-the-Week
• Holder of seven NCAA and SSC records

 
 
SSC Men's Swimmer of the Decade
Jeb Jalfacre, Florida Southern (2010-2013)
 
SSC Men's Swimming Coach of the Decade
Duncan Sherrard, Florida Southern (2009-2015)
 
Men's Swimming All-Decade First Team
Miguel Ferreira, Florida Southern (2011-13)
Allan Gutierrez, Florida Southern (2011-15)
Jeb Halfacre, Florida Southern (2010-13)
Matthew Holmes, Florida Southern (2015-19)
Anton Lobanov, Nova Southeastern (2014-17)
Franco Lupoli, Nova Southeastern (2016-18)
Brett Saunders, Tampa (2016-20)
Thiago Sickert, Nova Southeastern (2014-17)
 
Men's Swimming All-Decade Second Team
Matheus Assis, Saint Leo (2012-16)
Daniel Bis, Saint Leo (2014-16)
Henrik Dahrendorff, Saint Leo (2016-20)
Luis Jasso, Florida Southern (2014-18)
Oskar Nordstrand, Nova Southeastern (2011-13)
Marco Palacios, Florida Southern (2014-17)
Victor Rocha Furtado, Florida Tech (2016-17)
Luis Rojas, Florida Southern (2011-15)