Both teams and nine individuals earn CSCAA Scholar All-American honors
CLAREMONT, Calif. – The men's and women's swimming and diving teams and nine individuals for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps each earned Scholar All-American honors from the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).
This year, 658 teams from 388 institutions posted a team GPA in the spring semester of 3.0 or higher. This is only the second time in the 30-plus year history of the program that more than 600 teams nation-wide have made the cut.
To be selected to the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team, swimmers and divers must have achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and have participated in the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Honorable Mention selections have similarly achieved a GPA of 3.50 and achieved a "B" cut or competed at their respective diving qualifying meets. For the Stags, graduating seniors Joseph Hinton (CMC), Alex Poltash (CMC), Matthew Valentine (HMC) were on the Scholar All-American Team and freshman John Everett (CMC) was an Honorable Mention. Junior Kelly Ngo (CMC) was the only Athena on the Scholar All-American Team with sophomores Lizzie Carrade (CMC) and Lauren Rosenberger (CMC) and junior Carli Lessard (HMC) as Honorable Mentions.
The SCIAC recognized eight Athenas and nine Stags on the SCIAC All-Academic Team for posting a greater than 3.40 GPA. On the women's side, freshmen Madison Blumer (SCR) and Emma Stacy (SCR), sophomores Carrade and Rosenberger, juniors Kelly Ngo, Cassie Burgess (HMC) and Stephanie Doi (CMC) and seniorMaya Kale (CMC) were honored. For the men, freshmen Everett and John Jeang (HMC), sophomores Asher Greenberg and Blake Seidner (CMC), juniors Austin Melody (CMC) and Jonah Breslow (CMC), seniors Valentine and Zach Alleva (CMC), and graduate student McClatchy Ruskin (RDS).
Three CMS swimmers etched their names on the CMS "Wall of Fame" for earning individual First Team All-SCIAC honors during their careers and graduating with a better than 3.0 GPA: Hinton, Poltash and Valentine
The CMS men's team finished 10th at the 2016 NCAA D-III Championships, after winning their ninth consecutive SCIAC championship, helping CMS win the SCIAC All-Sports trophy and its first top-10 finish in the Learfield Director's Cup. The CMS women placed second in the SCIAC.
The Athenas and Stags earned additional post-season honors: Juniors Doi and Williams won the female and male SCIAC Swimmer of the Year Awards. Williams, the NCAA D-III champion in the 100 yard backstroke, also was tabbed as CMC Male Athlete of the Year.
Head Coach Charlie Griffiths was awarded the American Swimming Coaches Association "Certificate of Excellence" for the 14th time in his 15 years at the helm of the CMS program.
At the CMS swimming and diving team's awards banquet, the following student-athletes were honored:
Stags
Outstanding Swimmer—Matt Williams
Outstanding Diver—Patrick Quarberg
Rookie of the Year—Aaron Lutzker
Quantum Leap (Most Improved)—Matt Valentine
Shoenfeld (Most Inspirational)—Grant Murray and Alex Poltash
Outstanding Swimmer—Kelly Ngo
Outstanding Diver—Carli Lessard
Rookie of the Year—Emma Stacy
Quantum Leap (Most Improved)—Madison Blumer
Critchell (Most Inspirational)—Hannah Bower
By Emily Nordhoff
Sports Information Director
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