By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's and women's swimming teams have qualified for Scholar All-America recognition from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) following their successful efforts in the classroom during the 2020 spring semester. It was the 12th consecutive semester that both of Willamette's teams have qualified for the award.

Nationwide, a record 789 swimming programs at 461 colleges and universities in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, the NAIA and the NJCAA qualified for Scholar All-America honors.

Willamette is a member of NCAA Division III. The Bearcats also compete in the Northwest Conference. In Division III, a total of 182 women's teams and 161 men's teams earned Scholar All-America status this spring. Eight NWC men's teams and eight NWC women's teams attained Scholar All-America honors.

"I'm very proud of our men's and women's teams for the continued success in the classroom. With the transition to online learning this spring we knew there would be an adjustment period, but the teams continued to excel in their classes to finish out the spring semester. Both teams had their highest team GPA in recent history, and it shows their commitment to their academics and the ability to adapt to a new learning environment."
-- Willamette Head Coach Brent Summers

The Scholar All-America honor went to programs that earned team grade point averages of 3.0 or higher during the semester. The Willamette women's team achieved a 3.64 combined GPA during the spring, while the Bearcat men's team registered a 3.59 combined GPA during the semester.