RCW: Sport Spotlight 4.19 (Swimming & Diving)
What a great way to start this second phase of training! #KUswimdive https://t.co/ZM6FmunHXV pic.twitter.com/bRpYB2thVT
— Kansas Swim & Dive (@KUSwimDive) January 19, 2018
For the 37th-consecutive semester, the Kansas swimming and diving team has garnered College Swimming Coaches Association (CSCAA) Academic All-American Team recognition with an overall team grade point-average (GPA) of 3.38. Twenty-five athletes (86 percent of the team) were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s and Athletic Director’s Honor Rolls, with sixs achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Head coach Clark Campbell and the rest of the staff is extremely proud of the hard work the swimmers and divers have shown in and out of the pool, and recognize all of the efforts that has been displayed by the administration who help guide them through their tough semesters.
“Our team takes the academic side very serious,” Campbell said. “They are high-achievers both in the classroom and the pool. We have to give so much credit to associate director of academic and career counseling Laura Jacobsen. She does a great job communicating our expectations with the swimmers and divers, and makes sure they have every tool to be successful. It is one of our higher fall GPAs.”
The six members of the team who earned a 4.00 this past semester included sophomore Haley Downey, senior Hannah Driscoll, freshman Ellie Flanagan, freshman Manon Manning, redshirt-sophomore Caroline McCleary and junior Taylor Sieperda.
The team is extremely competitive and holds each other accountable in order to maintain their high status in academics. It is something that Campbell has seen grow in the team spirit, and keeping this standard has become a big part of what the teams stands for.
“In college, you end up being like the five people you hang out with most,” Campbell said. “We have a lot of kids on the team who are high achievers. They are hardworking and focused on the right things. We have graduated every kid who has come through the program and finished all four years. Getting a consistent high GPA mark every semester enables us to do that. When you have a graduation rate like that and you are getting it done every semester, it gets the right type of kids attracted to the program. The type of support we have through associate athletics director for student-athlete support services Paul Buskirk and the great job the academic counselors do to prepare our kids to do well academically does not go unnoticed.”
