Teamwork was on display in 2007-08 on the pool deck and in the classroom
Springfield, Ohio — Wittenberg University's men's and women's swimming and diving teams made waves both in and out of the pool during the 2007-08 school year. These dedicated student-athletes finished in the top half of one of the most competitive swimming and diving conferences in NCAA Division III, and they recently earned accolades from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) for their academic performance.
The Tiger women posted a 3.22 team grade point average (GPA) to earn a 2007-08 CSCAA Team Academic Award with a "Superior" rating, while the Tiger men posted a team GPA of 3.04 to earn a CSCAA Team Academic Award with an "Excellent" rating. The award honors men's and women's swimming and diving teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 2.80 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale.
"It takes great dedication to be a success as a swimmer and as a student in college," said Wittenberg Head Coach Natalie Koukis, who has earned two North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Coach of the Year awards in her four seasons at the helm of the program, including the men's award in 2008 after leading the team to fourth place in the conference championship, its best finish in nearly a decade.
"Student-athletes must budget their time and organize themselves well to meet the challenges of both schoolwork and collegiate athletics," she continued. "I'm very proud of the fact that the student-athletes in this program can reach a high level of achievement in both areas."
Individually, Neil Anderson, class of 2010 from Lakewood, Ohio, earned coaches association Honorable Mention Academic All-America honors after another tremendous season in the pool while he posted an outstanding 3.54 grade point average. Anderson earned an NCAA B Cut time in the 500-yard freestyle, but he missed qualifying for the national meet by less than one-tenth of a second. Anderson posted a school-record time of 4:36.37 in the 500-yard freestyle at the Kenyon Invitational on Feb. 23 to move into the top 25 nationally in the event.
The Tigers open the 2008-09 season on Oct. 25 at the annual NCAC Relays, hosted by Kenyon College. The dual meet portion of the schedule begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, when the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops visit Wittenberg's HPER Center Natatorium.