May 26, 2005
Kelli Barton (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral H.S.), who graduated earlier this month with a 3.941 cumulative grade-point average, was one of 10 named to the 2004-05 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V University Division Women’s At-Large Team, announced today by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). She will now move on to the Academic All-America ballot, attempting to become the first Irish women’s swimmer ever to be so honored by CoSIDA.
Barton, a graduate of the College of Arts & Letters with a degree in both theology and political science, was one of three swimmers – in addition to Cassandra Cardinell of Indiana and Southern Illinois’ Andrea Johnson – tabbed to the team.
The women’s at-large program covers nominees from 13 different sports, while each school can nominate a maximum of three student-athletes. District V includes Division I schools in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, as well as the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. The team was voted on by members of CoSIDA from District V. CoSIDA members from across the country will vote for the Academic All-America team, which will be released on Thursday, June 17.
Barton earned a perfect 4.000 GPA in her final collegiate semester and was named to the Dean’s List for the eighth time in as many semesters since enrolling at Notre Dame. The 2004-05 recipient of the Knute Rockne Student-Athlete Award as the top student on the team, she is a member of the University’s Academic Honors Program for Student-Athletes and has three times been tabbed an Academic All-Star by the BIG EAST Conference. In 2002, Barton was named a College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Academic All-American, posting the ninth-highest GPA of all honorees.
In the pool, Barton served as one of the Irish co-captains this past season, and she helped Notre Dame to four straight BIG EAST championships and a trio of top-25 placings at the NCAA meet. An NCAA Championships qualifier in 2002 (where she finished 29th in the 1,650-yard freestyle and also swam the 500 free), she graduated as the ND record holder in the 1,500-meter freestyle (17:01.00). Barton stands as the third-fastest Irish swimmer ever in both the 1,000- (career-best 9:57.89) and 1,650-yard freestyle (16:37.77). She owns two of the top five 1,000 times in Irish history, as well as three of the top eight in the mile. Barton also ranks eighth in the 500 free (4:54.84) and 10th in both the 200 breaststroke (2:19.77) and 400 individual medley (4:23.77).
In her final campaign, she was among the top five swimmers on the Irish in five different events, including ending up second in the 1,000 free (season-best 10:16.67) and 1,650 free (16:59.79). She ranked 10th on the team in individual points scored, with 85, and scored points in all three of her individual races at the BIG EAST Championships for the fourth consecutive year, ending up sixth in the 1,650 (her fourth straight top-10), a career-high eighth in the 200 breast, and 13th in the 400 IM. In her career, she finished in the top eight in individual action at the conference meet on six occasions. Barton also won the 1,650 in the dual meet at Bowling Green and posted a career-best time in the 200 IM (2:08.76) at the Georgia Fall Invitational.
2004-05 CoSIDA Academic All-District V University Division Women's At-Large TeamName, sport, school, year, hometown, GPA, major(s)Kelli Barton, swimming, Notre Dame, Sr., Scottsdale, Ariz., 3.934, Theology & Political ScienceCassandra Cardinell, swimming, Indiana, Sr., Loudonville, N.Y., 3.813, Telecommunications TechnologyLeah Gordon, crew, Wisconsin, Sr., Wausau, Wis., 4.00, Psychology/BiologyCynthya Goulet, tennis, Illinois Sr., Longueuil, Quebec, 3.96, FinanceJessica Jetton, tennis, Evansville, Sr., Bloomington, Ind., 3.85, AccountingAndrea Johnson, swimming, Southern Illinois, Sr., Elburn, Ill., 4.00, Special EducationCourtney Koester, lacrosse, Northwestern, Sr., Richmond, Ind., 3.81, Computer EngineeringCaroline Ouellette, ice hockey, Minn.-Duluth, Sr., Montreal, Quebec, 3.677 Criminology/Women's StudiesRiitta Schaublin, ice hockey, Minn.-Duluth, Soph., Basel, Switzerland, 3.902, MathematicsTana Trapani, tennis, Southern Illinois, Sr., Murphysboro, Ill., 4.00, Accounting