By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's and men's swimming teams have received Scholar All-America status from the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) for their successful efforts in the classroom during the 2021 spring semester. It was the 14th consecutive semester that both of Willamette's teams have received the award.
"I'm honored to be able to coach teams that put such an emphasis on their academic success," Willamette Head Swimming Coach Brent Summers said. "It was another tough academic year which brought new challenges and it was great to see our student-athletes rise to meet those challenges. The women's team set their highest team GPA in the spring, after having set it previously in the fall, and the men's team had their second-highest team GPA ever. To set those marks, during a challenging year, shows the resilience and commitment our student-athletes have. Our swimmers truly embody what it means to be a student-athlete and I'm looking forward to their continued success in the classroom."
Overall, 721 teams from 424 colleges and universities in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, the NAIA, and the NJCAA qualified for Scholar All-America recognition.
Willamette is a member of NCAA Division III. The Bearcats also compete in the Northwest Conference. In Division III, a total of 164 women's teams and 134 men's teams earned Scholar All-America status during the spring. Eight NWC women's teams and seven NWC men's teams attained Scholar All-America honors.
The Scholar All-America award went to programs that earned team grade point averages of 3.0 or higher during the semester. The Bearcat women's team achieved a 3.75 combined GPA during the spring, while the Willamette men's team registered a 3.53 combined GPA during the semester.