COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Three from the Penn State men's swimming & diving team and two from the women's team were named College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-Americans recently, while 18 additional Nittany Lion swimmers and divers earned honorable mention Scholar All-America recognition.
Men's team sophomore Michael Daly was named a Scholar All-American for a second consecutive year, while senior Austin Wilson and junior Juliusz Gosieniecki earned their first Scholar All-America first-team honors. On the women's side, senior Maddie Hart earned her second consecutive first-team honor and was recognized for a third-straight year overall, while sophomore Marie Schobel earned her first nod.
Hart (elementary & early childhood education), Schobel (finance) and Gosieniecki (nuclear engineering) all posted 4.0 grade point averages for the semester.
The Scholar All-America award recognizes students who achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and were invited to compete at their respective national championship. Selections were drawn from 209 colleges and universities across all divisions. Honorable mentions similarly achieved a GPA of 3.50 and achieved a "B" time standard or competed at an NCAA Regional or Zone Diving qualifier.
Ten swimmers and divers from the women's team - Abigail Amdor, Maddie Cooke, Christina Crowell, Carly Hart, Olivia Jack, Madison Ledwith, Brooke Matthias, Madison Murtagh, Sierra Shurts and Stephanie Szekely - and eight from the men's team: Hayden Harlow, Bryce Hoch, Brad Johnson, William Lulek, Daniel Raisanen, Kevin Sullivan, Liam Veregin and Zac Zwijacz – earned honorable mention recognition. Crowell, Hart and Szekely posted 4.0 grade point averages for the semester.
Daly, who majors in biochemistry and molecular biology qualified for the NCAA Championships, which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in the 200 back and 400 IM. His 200 back time of 1:40.63 earned him silver at the Big Ten Championships and ranked him 16th in the nation, while he holds the school record in the 400 IM with his personal-best time of 3:43.00. Wilson (kinesiology) and Gosieniecki were poised to make their first NCAA appearances in the 200 freestyle relay.
Hart finished off her career with Penn State at the Big Ten Championships with a school-record and fourth-place finish in the 200 back (1:53.37), along with two more finals finishes in the 100 back (6th, 52.78) and a bronze into 100 fly (51.80). She was slated to compete in all three events at NCAA's, ranking as high as 16th nationally in the 100 fly. Schobel was set to compete in the 100 back after ranking 34th nationally and placing ninth at Big Tens.
The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association (CSCAA) named the Penn State men's and women's swimming and diving teams to its Scholar All-America team for the 2020 spring semester last week. The Nittany Lion women have now received Scholar All-America recognition for 18 consecutive semesters, while the men have been honored following their last eight. To be selected as a CSCAA Scholar All-America Team, programs must have achieved a GPA of 3.00 or higher over the fall semester.
Check GoPSUSports.com for coverage of the Penn State swimming and diving teams and follow the team on Twitter at @PennStateSWIM and on Facebook at facebook.com/pennstateswimminganddiving.
