Alabama Swimming & Diving Men and Women Rank in the Top-5 Nationally by Fall GPA
1/22/2019 12:22:00 PM | Swimming & Diving
The Crimson Tide’s women posted a 3.67 team grade point average in the fall, while the men tallied a 3.55
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's and women's swimming and diving teams both ranked in the top-five by team grade point average in the fall according to the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), and both once again earned the organization's Scholar All-America Team accolade.
"We are extremely proud of the team's performance in the classroom this fall," UA head coach Dennis Pursley said. "To have this kind of success in the classroom while challenging themselves in the pool on a daily basis really speaks to the commitment our athletes are making to be the best they can be in the pool, in the classroom and in life."
The Crimson Tide women posted a 3.67 team GPA in the fall which ranks fifth among all NCAA Division I schools and second among teams that scored at the 2018 NCAA Championships and first when it comes to SEC programs.
The Alabama men earned a 3.55 team grade point average in the fall, fourth among NCAA Division I schools and first among teams that finished in the top-15 at last year's NCAA Championships and in the SEC.
Alabama is the only school to have both the men's and women's team finish in the top-five by team GPA and have both teams score at last year's NCAA Championships.
To earn the honor, teams were required to post a GPA of 3.0 or higher for the fall semester and maintain a roster of 12 or more student-athletes.
Individually, 25 Tide swimmers and divers came away with a 4.0 GPA in the fall, while 45 tallied a 3.5-or-better GPA and 64 posted a 3.0-or-better.
All-American seniors Laurent Bams, Robert Howard and Justine Macfarlane along with junior Zane Waddell all earned 4.0s in the fall. Bams and senior Ayanna Woods earned 4.0s in their graduate classes while seniors Evan Heldman and Knox Auerbach posted GPAs of 3.75 and 3.8 in their graduate courses, respectively.
Others with a 4.0 in the fall include freshman Kalia Antoniou, freshman Makenna Berry, freshman Julia Cullen, sophomore Alina Faunce, freshman Morgan Liberto, sophomore Maria Reed, freshman Cathryn Salladin, junior Allie Surrency, freshman Greta Szilvasi, sophomore Tori VanBuskirk, freshman Ashley Voelkerding and senior Marian Yurchishin for the women.
On the men's side, sophomore Cade Auerbach, junior Tristan Essary, sophomore Max Kennedy-Till, junior Daniel Kober, junior Kyle Maas, freshman Nicholas Perera, freshman John Shelstad and freshman Colton Stogner also posted 4.0 GPAs.
For all the latest information on the Alabama swimming and diving teams, follow AlabamaSwimDive on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can be found on @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
