March 16, 2004
The University of Notre Dame women’s swimming and diving team was named an Academic All-American Team for the fall 2003 semester by the Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) on Monday. The Irish posted a 3.247 team grade-point average last fall, which ranked 37th among Division I squads.
Notre Dame’s was one of 88 Division I women’s swimming and diving programs to earn the honor. The Irish were 20th in the CSCAA final dual meet national rankings, and only two top-20 teams posted higher team GPAs than Notre Dame last semester: #11 Penn State (3.350) and #1 Auburn (3.255).
All squads with a GPA of 2.850 or higher were recognized, including 10 from the BIG EAST Conference. Other league winners were Boston College (3.347, 9th in BIG EAST Championships), St. John’s (3.296, 10th), Pittsburgh (3.290, 5th), Georgetown (3.234, T-13th), Syracuse (3.227, 7th), Miami (3.163, 8th), Connecticut (3.079, 6th), and Rutgers (2.900, 2nd).
In addition, six of the 10 teams on Notre Dame’s dual-meet schedule earned the award: Ohio State (3.420), Pittsburgh, Oakland (3.257), Illinois (3.157), Michigan (3.130), and Indiana (3.122).
With the Irish men’s swimming and diving team also an Academic All-American Team, finishing in a tie for 24th with a team GPA of 3.050, Notre Dame was one of 17 instititutions to have its men’s team in the top 25 and its women’s team finish among the top 40.
Notre Dame had nine student-athletes named to the Dean’s List in the fall of 2003. Leading the way were senior marketing major Lisa D’Olier (Houston, Texas/Cypress Creek H.S.) and junior accounting major Kristen Peterson (Wichita, Kan./Bishop Carroll H.S.), who registered perfect 4.000 GPAs. Peterson’s cumulative average of 3.796 ranks third on the team. Junior Kelli Barton (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral H.S.), the team leader in the classroom, had another outstanding semester, with a GPA of 3.933. A theology and political science double major, her cumulative GPA now stands at 3.920.
Among other Dean’s List GPAs were junior design major Georgia Healey’s (New York, N.Y./Trinity School) 3.750, senior psychology and computer applicatins major Jilen Siroky’s (Matthews, N.C./Providence H.S.) 3.667, senior accounting major Lisa Garcia’s (Denver, Colo./Cherry Creek H.S.) 3.583, senior aerospace engineering major Meghan Perry-Eaton’s (Brandon, Fla./Bloomingdale H.S.) 3.534, and senior anthropology major Danielle Hulick’s (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg H.S.) 3.500.
Freshman Abby Strang (St. Simons Island, Ga./The Bolles School) had a 3.784 in her first collegiate semester to be the only rookie on the Dean’s List, while sophomore Samantha Raneri (Katonah, N.Y./John Jay H.S.) delivered a 3.733 GPA. Her cumulative mark of 3.822 is second-best on the team.
Notre Dame, which tied for 33rd in last year’s NCAAs, will have two competitors — Perry-Eaton and freshman Katie Carroll (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy) — compete in the 2004 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships this week, slated for Thursday-Sunday in College Station, Texas.