Individuals, Team Recognized for Academic Excellence
8/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming & Diving
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The College Swimming Coaches Association of America announced Tuesday (Aug. 28) that six members of the University of Michigan women's swimming and diving team were selected to the organization's All-Academic squad for 2006-07. In addition, three student-athletes earned honorable mention, and the squad was recognized as a whole with a team All-Academic honor.
Seniors Kaitlyn Brady (Wilmington, Del./Mount Pleasant) and Lindsey Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter), junior Valeria Silva (Lima, Peru/Alexander von Humboldt), sophomores Payton Johnson (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) and Hannah Smith (Dexter, Mich./Dexter) and freshman Margaret Kelly (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) were honored as All-Academic. Seniors Susan Gilliam (Los Angeles, Calif./Bolles) and Ellen Van Cleve (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and freshman Emily Christy (Schwenksville, Pa./Spring-Ford Area Senior) earned honorable mention. Two seniors, Brady and Lindsey Smith, were two of 16 All-Academic picks to achieve a 4.0 grade point average.
In order to earn All-Academic status, a student-athlete must qualify for the NCAA Championships and achieve a minimum GPA of 3.5 for the year or semester of the meet, or a cumulative total. Honorable mention selections are held to the same academic standards and must achieve an NCAA "B" standard or qualify for the NCAA Zone Diving meet.
Brady, who graduated with a degree in sport management, claimed seven NCAA All-America honors during her career. The 2006 Big Ten Conference Swimmer of the Year, Brady holds Big Ten records in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard freestyle relay. She was twice named Academic All-Big Ten.
Lindsey Smith earned her second CSCAA All-Academic honor as she completed her general studies degree. Smith has 10 NCAA All-America honors to her name and was named 2007 Swimmer of the Big Ten Championships. She owns the conference 200-yard freestyle record and was part of the Big Ten-record 200-yard freestyle relay.
Silva, a brain, behavior and cognitive science major, becomes a three-time recipient of an CSCAA All-Academic distinction. A three-time All-Big Ten second team member, she spent the summer swimming for her native Peru.
Johnson, who is majoring in biomedical engineering, earned her second CSCAA All-Academic honor. A two-time NCAA Honorable Mention All-American, Johnson owns the U-M record in the 200-yard butterfly.
Hannah Smith, a movement science major, is a two-time NCAA All-American. She was part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team that set a new Big Ten mark. She also earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition as a sophomore to go with her two Big Ten championships in 2007.
Kelly earned three NCAA All-America honors as a freshman to go with two Big Ten titles. An athletic training major, she holds Big Ten records in the 200-yard individual medley and 200-yard freestyle relay.
Gilliam earned two NCAA All-America honors and two Big Ten championships during her four years at Michigan. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient, she graduated with a degree in psychology and a minor in history.
Van Cleve, who received a communications degree, earned her second CSCAA honorable mention All-Academic designation. She was twice named Academic All-Big Ten and turned in career-best finishes at the 2007 Big Ten Championships, placing seventh in one-meter, 13th in three-meter and 10th in platform diving.
Christy, who is enrolled in the College of Science, Literature and the Arts, achieved an NCAA "B" standard and season-best time of 2:00.54 in the 200-yard butterfly at the Texas A&M Invitational.
According to rankings released by the CSCAA, the women's team ranked among the top 30 female programs in Division I, compiling a 3.377 GPA for the winter and summer semesters. Michigan was also tabbed an All-Academic team during the fall semester with a 3.241 GPA.
Contact: Ryan Sosin (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
