Swimming's Olcaytu Hatipoglu Awarded the American Conference Commissioner’s Postgraduate Leadership Award
Jul 15, 2026 | Women's Swimming and Diving
DALLAS – The American Conference announced on Wednesday that Tulane swimmer Olcaytu Hatipoglu has been named the female recipient of the prestigious Commissioner's Postgraduate Leadership Award.
This esteemed award is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from an American-sponsored sport who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and academic achievement. Recipients must be admitted to a degree-granting or professional program for the upcoming year and exemplify excellence in academics, athletic performance, and community service. Each award-winning student-athlete will receive a $5,000 scholarship to support their postgraduate studies.
A 2026 graduating senior and a dedicated member of the Green Wave swimming and diving team for the past four seasons, Hatipoglu will attend Duke University this fall as part of their PhD program in biomedical engineering.
Throughout her collegiate career, Hatipoglu has been recognized as a 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection, contributed to the No. 10 all-time Tulane 200 medley relay team, and has been named to the American Conference All-Academic Team in each of the past three seasons.
The program finished fifth overall at the 2026 American Conference Swimming Championships with 905.50 points. The program totaled an event victory and five medal winners in the competition. Lise Coetzee won the 200 free and placed second in the 500 free. Varvara Gkiouzepa Petropoulou was the runner-up in the 200 butterfly. Eliza Lennox took third in the 100 free.
The 800 relay team of Coetzee, Andrea Zeebe, Phoebe Johnson, and Rafaela Sumida placed third. Libby Brewer was named the league's Freshman Diver of the Year and also qualified and competed at NCAA Zones this season. Tulane also saw 11 qualify and compete at the 2026 CSCAA National Invitational Championships in Danielle Barberie, Coetzee, Nicole Fant, Paula Gaya Bisquerra, Petropoulou, Ebba Holgersson, Johnson, Mary Kate Kupsky, Lennox, Gwen Shahboz, and Marin Shimkus. The program saw four earn a spot on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District ® Division I Swimming & Diving Team in Petropoulou, Hatipoglu, Johnson, and Zeebe and three selected as College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-Americans in Lennox, Petropoulou, and Brewer.
TICKETS
Tickets for the upcoming football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball seasons can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
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GREEN WAVE CLUB
Giving to the Green Wave Club provides Tulane Athletics with the resources student‑athletes need to excel in competition and in the classroom. Your support directly improves the lives of current and future Green Wave student‑athletes and enhances Tulane's competitiveness in intercollegiate athletics. Make a gift today by calling (504) 865‑5356, emailing greenwaveclub@tulane.edu, or visiting GreenWaveClub.com.
                                                     - TulaneGreenWave -
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This esteemed award is presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete from an American-sponsored sport who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and academic achievement. Recipients must be admitted to a degree-granting or professional program for the upcoming year and exemplify excellence in academics, athletic performance, and community service. Each award-winning student-athlete will receive a $5,000 scholarship to support their postgraduate studies.
A 2026 graduating senior and a dedicated member of the Green Wave swimming and diving team for the past four seasons, Hatipoglu will attend Duke University this fall as part of their PhD program in biomedical engineering.
Throughout her collegiate career, Hatipoglu has been recognized as a 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection, contributed to the No. 10 all-time Tulane 200 medley relay team, and has been named to the American Conference All-Academic Team in each of the past three seasons.
The program finished fifth overall at the 2026 American Conference Swimming Championships with 905.50 points. The program totaled an event victory and five medal winners in the competition. Lise Coetzee won the 200 free and placed second in the 500 free. Varvara Gkiouzepa Petropoulou was the runner-up in the 200 butterfly. Eliza Lennox took third in the 100 free.
The 800 relay team of Coetzee, Andrea Zeebe, Phoebe Johnson, and Rafaela Sumida placed third. Libby Brewer was named the league's Freshman Diver of the Year and also qualified and competed at NCAA Zones this season. Tulane also saw 11 qualify and compete at the 2026 CSCAA National Invitational Championships in Danielle Barberie, Coetzee, Nicole Fant, Paula Gaya Bisquerra, Petropoulou, Ebba Holgersson, Johnson, Mary Kate Kupsky, Lennox, Gwen Shahboz, and Marin Shimkus. The program saw four earn a spot on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District ® Division I Swimming & Diving Team in Petropoulou, Hatipoglu, Johnson, and Zeebe and three selected as College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-Americans in Lennox, Petropoulou, and Brewer.
TICKETS
Tickets for the upcoming football, volleyball, men's and women's basketball seasons can be purchased by calling 504-861-WAVE (9283), logging on to TulaneTix.com or visiting the ticket office at the James W. Wilson Jr. Center.
Â
GREEN WAVE CLUB
Giving to the Green Wave Club provides Tulane Athletics with the resources student‑athletes need to excel in competition and in the classroom. Your support directly improves the lives of current and future Green Wave student‑athletes and enhances Tulane's competitiveness in intercollegiate athletics. Make a gift today by calling (504) 865‑5356, emailing greenwaveclub@tulane.edu, or visiting GreenWaveClub.com.
                                                     - TulaneGreenWave -
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Players Mentioned
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