Blue Swimming & Diving Team/Individuals Earn National Academic Recognition

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The Wellesley College swimming and diving team was recently honored for its work in the classroom. The Blue were awarded Team Scholar All-America distinction by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). In addition to the team honor, recent graduate Emma Mrkonic and rising sophomores Leah Furman and Maddie Stern, were named to the Scholar All-America team.

As a team, Wellesley swimming and diving combined for an overall GPA of 3.35. The Blue also excelled in the pool, finishing third at the 2014 NEWMAC Swimming & Diving Championships, where six members of the team earned All-NEWMAC honors.

Individually, Mrkonic, Furman, and Stern, all earned honorable mention honors on the Scholar All-America team. Mrkonic was a part of the Wellesley 200-medley relay team that earned All-NEWMAC honors and an NCAA "B" cut, while also earning individual All-NEWMAC honors in the 200-back. Furman was All-NEWMAC and hit an NCAA "B" cut in the 1,650-free, while Stern advanced to the NCAA Diving Regionals to compete on both the 1-meter and 3-meter boards.

The CSCAA Team Scholar All-America award is presented to college and university swimming and diving teams who have achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or higher in the semester coinciding with the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

The CSCA Honorable Mention Scholar All-America Award is presented to college and university swimmers and divers who have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for the semester, or cumulative average, and have achieved a "B" time standard. Divers qualify by competing at their respective championship qualifying meets, zones or NCAA preliminary rounds.