CSCAA Recognizes 658 Teams for Academics
With Spring graduations having passed, the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) has designated 658 swimming and diving teams, representing 388 colleges and universities as Scholar All-America teams. The recognition comes as a result of each team's classroom performance in the past semester. It is only the second time in the program’s 30+ year history of the program that more than 600 teams.
Men's Teams: Division I | Division II | Division III | NAIA | NJCAA
Women's Teams: Division I | Division II | Division III | NAIA | NJCAA
"This is a welcome change to the headlines that have dominated intercollegiate athletics in recent weeks." explained CSCAA executive director Joel Shinofield, "In reality, however, this is what we've come to expect in our sport." Shinofield singled out Division I programs, of which eighty percent earned GPA's of 3.0 or better. "These programs are the incubators of our Olympic success and they compete at the highest level at some of our most prestigious institutions," he explained. "The hard work and dedication they learn at the pool translates directly to their success in the classroom and beyond regardless of division."
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 40% of all female and over one-third of male swimmers and divers pursued degrees in the STEM fields.
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 Spring semester. Top teams were recognized for both large teams (more than 22 women or 21 men) and small.
The University of South Carolina topped all Division I women's teams. The Gamecocks' 3.73 was 0.01 ahead of Bowling Green. Head Coach McGee Moody expressed pride in his team explaining, "Our staff works very hard to instill a culture of excellence in the classroom and in the pool. Our academic staff here at South Carolina care deeply about our student-athletes." Iona College's women led smaller programs with a 3.69 GPA.
Among Division I men's teams, Harvard's 3.59 edged out Ivy-rival Yale by 0.02. Missouri State topped smaller Division I programs. "Having one of the top GPAs in the country has been a goal of our program for many years now," explained Head Coach Dave Collins. "We discuss this goal in our first meeting of the season and reiterate it many times throughout the season. We pride ourselves on being a complete programThis is a big achievement for our program and university."
Limestone's men (3.41) and Clarion's women (3.63) led the larger Division II programs while Florida Southern led the way among smaller programs. FSC posted a 3.74 on the women's side and 3.55 on the men's. MIT was at the top of the class in Division III. The Engineer men earned a 3.64 while the women earned a 3.79. Among smaller programs the Principia College men (3.80) and Sarah Lawrence women (3.87) earned the highest GPAs.
Founded in 1922, the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) – the oldest organization of college coaches in America -is a professional organization of college swimming and diving coaches dedicated to serving and providing leadership for the advancement of the sport of swimming & diving at the collegiate level.