ESSEX FELLS, NJ—After another successful year in the pool that saw the Aggies take fourth place at the NCAA Championship, nine members of the Texas A&M Swim & Dive team have been selected to the 2015 College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-American Team, the organization announced.
To be considered for this team, student-athletes must meet strict requirements. The swimmers must achieve a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the same semester as the NCAA Championship and must also compete in the event as well. The Aggies that will represent Texas A&M on the 2015 team are juniorClaire Brandt (Dallas, Texas), senior Emily Neubert (Waco, Texas), senior Kelli Benjamin (Gilbert, Ariz.), freshman Lisa Bratton (Richland, Wash.), sophomoreMadison Hudkins (Murrieta, Calif.), senior Samantha Bosma (Marietta, Ga.), sophomore Sarah Gibson (San Antonio, Texas), sophomore Sycerika McMahon(Belfast, Northern Ireland) and junior Meredith Oliver (Tyler, Texas).
Three other Aggies were also selected to the team as an honorable mention. Junior Colleen Konetzke (San Antonio, Texas) and sophomore Corrine Priest (Atlanta, Ga.) received this designation because while they did maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the spring semester, they did not compete at the NCAA Championship. Swimmers that qualify for the honorable mention designation must, however, make an NCAA “B” qualifying time.
In addition to the 11 individuals representing Texas A&M, the team as a whole received Scholar All-America honors as well. To achieve this, teams must maintain a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The Aggies demonstrated their abilities in the classroom this year with an overall team GPA of 3.31, tied for the fifth-highest team GPA in the country.
“These honors are a tribute to strong team leadership and the willingness of every swimmer and diver to hold one another accountable academically. This is well deserved and I am especially happy for the seniors and captains who set the academic tone,” said Texas A&M Director of Student Services Chris Barttelbort, “No place values tradition more than Texas A&M, and this team lives up to the tradition of success in the classroom that has defined Coach Steve Bultman‘s time with Texas A&M Swimming & Diving.”
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics