Lai Named CSC Academic All-America Third Team

Lai Named CSC Academic All-America Third Team

4/28/2026 10:59:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving

S&D CSC Academic All-America Teams Release

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Junior diver Shiyun Lai was selected for the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Third team the organization announced on Tuesday. This marks the first time a Jayhawk has been recognized for the honor since the 2023 season and the overall tenth student-athlete in the history of KU's swim and dive program to earn the title.

"Shiyun has worked so hard in the classroom while at KU," head swimming coach Clark Campbell said. "She is all in on her academic success and her effort is paying off."

A Liberal Arts and Sciences major, Lai has continued to dominate both the boards and the classroom throughout her highly decorated, three-year career at Kansas, previously receiving CSC Academic All-District Honors earlier this season which qualified her to be eligible for the Academic All-America Teams.

Hailing from Guangdong Province, China, Lai is a two-time NCAA and CSCAA All-American and the first Jayhawk to earn All-Big 12 First Team honors in back-to-back seasons. She placed first and second on the 1-meter and 3-meter dives, respectively, at the Big 12 Championships and helped lead Kansas to a 25th-place finish at the 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

In order to be considered for the Academic All-America teams, student-athletes must meet a certain level of criteria to be nominated, including maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, holding sophomore standing both academically and athletically, completing at least one year in residence at their institution, and participating in at least 50 percent of their team's contests. Award recipients are selected through voting by current dues-paying members of College Sports Communicators, along with members of the Academic All-America Core Committee, the Academic All-America Hall of Fame Committee, the Executive Board of Directors, and CSC national staff. The distinction recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for standout performances in competition and academically.

For the full list of names on the CSC Academic All-America teams, click here.