BOSTON, Mass. - The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) has announced its Academic All-Conference selections in swimming & diving and 15 Mount Holyoke College student-athletes were recognized for their outstanding efforts in the classroom.
Named to the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference team were sophomores Claire Beckett (Haslett, Mich./Haslett), Amy Lim (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell), Topaz Mukulu (Nairobi, Kenya/Brookhouse International) and Rachel Polfer (Maitland, Fla./Lake Highland Prepatory School), juniors Emily Craig (Rochester, N.Y./Gates-Chili Senior), Anne Kuenning (Bow, N.H./Bow), Corrine Green (Northampton, Mass./Tantastqua Regional) and Katie Tyler (Hadley, Mass./Hopkins Academy).
Additionally, seniors Erica Carvell (Chicago, Ill./Metea Valley), Sarah Crocker (Sacramento, Calif./C.K. McClatchy), Kelly Sin Ee Lim (Melaka, Malaysia/Taylor's College Sri Hartamas), Sarah McKay (Newton, Mass./Newton North), Cathleen Pruden (Raleigh, N.C./Ravenscroft School) and Emily Serio (Sturbridge, Mass./Tantasqua Regional).
To be considered for NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honors, a student-athlete must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 after the 2014 fall semester, achieved second year academic status at her institution and been a member of the varsity team for the entire season.
The 15 selections continue to make it a banner year academically for the Lyons, who were honored by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) in late January 2016 as having the top grade point average among all teams recognized in Division III – women or men – boasting a mark of 3.71 through the Fall 2015 semester. In total, 547 teams were recognized across Division's I, II, III and NAIA. From Division III, 130 women's teams and 89 men's squads were honored.
In order to qualify, teams must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the semester. Mount Holyoke's mark of 3.71 was among the top in program history, besting the overall GPA of some of the best teams in the nation. Among those that the Lyons finished higher included Division I's Boise State women (3.64), Harvard men (3.47), Division II Maryville women (3.63) and the Limestone men (3.47).
Against its Division III rivals, the Lyons bested the MIT men (3.69), the Beloit College women (3.69) and the Colorado College men (3.64). Last spring, the Lyons were 10th in the nation with a GPA of 3.62.
Mount Holyoke was also one of six NEWMAC schools to be honored for the fall, in addition to Clark University (women & men), MIT (women & men), Springfield (women & men), Wheaton (women & men) and Wellesley.
Under the direction of longtime head coach Dave Allen, the Lyons finished their season with an 8-2 dual meet mark. MHC also finished third this season at both the Hamilton Invitational in December and last week's Seven Sisters Championship, while placing ninth overall at the 2016 NEWMAC Championships. Highlighting the season was senior captain Cathleen Pruden (Raleigh, N.C./Ravenscroft School) – a multiple CSCAA Scholar All-American – who was the conference Swimmer of the Year for the second straight season after winning both the 200IM and 400IM in record fashion.
Pruden, who currently boasts the third-best time in Division III in the 400-IM, is expected to represent the Lyons for the third straight season at the NCAA Championships in March. The meet takes place from March 16-18 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.
