Five hundred and forty-seven swimming and diving teams representing 358 colleges and universities have been named College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Teams. The awards are in recognition of teams’ that achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or higher during the 2015 Fall Semester. That is up 40 teams from the previous Fall Semester.
The announcement comes on the heels of last week’s NCAA Convention. There, the topic of time demands on student-athletes was at the forefront. In an era where many are calling for more limitations on athletic commitments how do swimmers and divers do it?
CSCAA Executive Director Joel Shinofield was effusive in his praise, “We really are fortunate to work with the best of the best. In reality, some would argue that swimmers and divers have some of the most demanding practice schedules, but we find that in most cases their athletic drive and academic goals simply reinforce one another.”
“College swimming is a complete preparation for life, where our athletes see the results of goal-setting, perseverance and personal accountability,” said USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch. “These values that make swimmers successful in the pool are also what make them stand out in the classroom and become high achievers in their careers after college.”
Over 70% of all Division I swimming and diving teams achieved GPA’s of 3.00 or higher including 21 Women’s and 19 Men’s teams in the current CSCAA/TYR Top 25. Leading the way among Division I programs was Boise State University. The Broncos collectively earned a 3.64, and that’s partially a reflection of the department. Head Coach Jeremy Kipp explained, “The entire environment around the Boise State University athletic program has been about pushing every metric of student athlete performance. From the beginning of the year, our captains - Karli Kriewall, Blake Balough and Sam Wicks - committed the team to a 3.5 GPA. This Academic goal was set on day one, along with our swimming performance and community service goals.
Shinofield noted that the teams’ GPAs were especially impressive given the rigorous course load taken by most swimmers. A recent survey of Division I programs showed that nearly one third of all male and over 40% of female swimmers and divers pursued degrees in the STEM fields.
At Boise State, that number is closer to 54% with two engineering majors, eight biology majors, two more in nursing and one in geology. When do these young women have time to be "normal" students? Kipp explains, “Based on the goals that they set, our women were never interested in being normal. Our women take pride in being ambitious and extraordinary because that is what it takes to be relevant on a national level.”
To be selected as a CSCAA Scholar All-America Team, programs must have achieved a grade point average of 3.00 or higher over the fall semester.
