Blue Devils Feature 21 on Scholar All-America Teams

6/21/2017 10:50:00 AM | Swimming & Diving

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. – The Duke men's and women's swimming and diving programs featured 21 student-athletes on the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA), as announced by the organization Wednesday. The 21 selections marked a program record for the Blue Devils.

Both the men's and women's teams also received Scholar All-America recognition from the CSCAA for achieving a grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the spring semester. The Duke men were second among all ACC institutions with a combined grade point average of 3.25 for the semester while the women compiled a 3.46 team grade point average to tie for fourth among conference teams.

Rising junior Hunter Aitchison, rising senior Leah Goldman, rising sophomore Alyssa Marsh and recent Blue Devil graduates Maddie Rusch and Ashleigh Shanley were all selected for CSCAA Scholar All-America first team honors after wrapping up their seasons at the 2017 NCAA Championships. Goldman, Marsh and Rusch powered Duke's 200-yard freestyle relay to a top-20 finish nationally, as did Marsh, Rusch and Shanley in the 200 medley relay. Goldman and Marsh also competed in individual events in Indianapolis, with Goldman collecting a top-20 showing in the 100 butterfly preliminaries.

Rusch was named to the Scholar All-America first team for the second consecutive season while Aitchison and Shanley were both honorable mention honorees in 2016.

Recent graduate Dylan Payne represented the Blue Devil men on the Scholar All-America first team. Payne rounded out his collegiate career in strong fashion, making his first appearance at NCAAs in 2017. He was 28th in the 100 breaststroke trials after earning a spot in the 100 breaststroke championship final at the ACC Championships.

Fifteen other student-athletes received Scholar All-America honorable mention accolades from the CSCAA for the 2016-17 campaign, including Sheldon Boboff, Kevin Fraser, Judd Howard, Roger Kriegl, Yusuke Legard, Michael Miller, Josh Owsiany and Sean Tate on the men's side and Verity Abel, Lizzie Devitt, Brittany Friese, Jaimee Gundry, Anna Quinn, Kirby Quinn and Jessie Sutherland for the women.

Aitchison, Goldman, Kriegl, Miller, Payne, Rusch and Shanley also garnered All-ACC Academic honors for the 2016-17 season.

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 their respective NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Honorable Mention selections have similarly achieved a GPA of 3.50 and achieved a "B" time standard or competed at their respective diving qualifying meets.

2017 CSCAA Scholar All-America Teams – Duke Selections
Name, Year (First Team/Honorable Mention)
Verity Abel, Junior (HM)
Hunter Aitchison, Sophomore (First Team)
Sheldon Boboff, Freshman (HM)
Lizzie Devitt, Junior (HM)
Kevin Fraser, Senior (HM)
Brittany Friese, Senior (HM)
Leah Goldman, Junior (First Team)
Jaimee Gundry, Redshirt Senior (HM)
Judd Howard, Sophomore (HM)
Roger Kriegl, Freshman (HM)
Yusuke Legard, Sophomore (HM)
Alyssa Marsh, Freshman (First Team)
Michael Miller, Senior (HM)
Josh Owsiany, Sophomore (HM)
Dylan Payne, Senior (First Team)
Anna Quinn, Junior (HM)
Kirby Quinn, Senior (HM)
Maddie Rusch, Senior (First Team)
Ashleigh Shanley, Senior (First Team)
Jessie Sutherland, Senior (HM)
Sean Tate, Sophomore (HM)