NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's swimming and diving team ranked among the top five Division I programs in terms of grade-point average (GPA) this spring, turning in a team mark of 3.59 to earn recognition as a 2014 College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Spring Scholar All-American Team, the CSCAA announced on Friday.
The Redbirds were one of 151 Division I squads to earn the honor, and ranked behind only Kentucky, Arkansas-Little Rock, Alabama and New Mexico. Team Scholar All-America honors are presented to college and university swimming and diving teams achieving a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The award is presented twice annually, once in the fall semester and again in the spring semester.
"The coaching staff and I are extremely proud of the swimmers' and divers' tremendous accomplishment of earning a 3.59 spring semester GPA," head swimming and diving coach Steve Paska said. "Finishing in a tie for fifth place overall in Division I swimming and diving is fantastic. The team had an outstanding semester in the classroom and will continue to strive to set a new team GPA record during the 2014-15 season.
"The coaching staff would like to thank the Karin L. Bone Athletic Study Center staff and the athletic academic advisors for their continuing and endless support of the team's motivation for excellence in the classroom."
The Redbirds' 3.59 GPA is the second-highest team GPA in team history, surpassed only by the team's 3.61 mark in the spring 2013 semester. Ten members of the team earned perfect 4.0 GPAs this spring: Erica Halley, Valerie Jones, Maggie Kopp, Laura Paskoff, Sarah Rendek, Rachel Root, Kelly Sanks, Samantha Schuckles, Danielle Schumacher and Brianna Winkler.
In addition to the CSCAA honor, the Redbirds were one of the best-represented teams when the Missouri Valley Conference announced its academic honors on July 2. Four members of the team earned the President's Council Academic Award, while 19 earned the Commissioner's Excellence Award and 30 made the honor roll.
2014 CSCAA Spring Scholar All-American Team
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