DURHAM, N.C. – Eleven members of the Duke men's and women's swimming and diving teams have garnered Scholar All-America honors for the 2015-16 season, as announced Wednesday by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). The 11 selections are the most for the program since 2012.
Both the men's and women's teams were also named recipients of 2016 Scholar All-America awards for achieving a grade point average of 3.0 or higher during the spring semester. The Blue Devil men were second among ACC teams with a grade point average of 3.26 for the semester, while the Duke women compiled a 3.38 team grade point average to tie for second among conference teams.
Rising junior Verity Abel and rising seniors Maddie Rusch and Jessie Sutherland all received CSCAA Scholar All-America first team honors after representing the Blue Devil women at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Rusch and Sutherland competed on Duke's 200-yard freestyle relay while Rusch also swam on the 400 freestyle relay. Individually, Abel took to the water in the 200, 500 and 1,650 freestyle and Rusch in the 50 and 100 freestyle and the 100 butterfly.
Abel, Rusch and Sutherland were all Scholar All-America honorable mention selections in 2015, with Sutherland also taking home honorable mention recognition in 2014.
On the men's side, recent graduate David Armstrong and rising senior Peter Kropp were selected for Scholar All-America first team distinction following a historic performance in the 200 medley relay at the 2016 NCAA Championships. The duo helped the relay become the first in program history to earn All-America honors, taking 14th in the country. Kropp also represented the program as an individual, swimming in the 100 and 200 breaststroke events.
Duke placed six other student-athletes on the CSCAA Scholar All-America honorable mention teams, including Victor Chen and Riley Hickman on the men's side and Hunter Aitchison, Anna Quinn, Kirby Quinn and Ashleigh Shanley on the women's side.
Armstrong and Rusch also garnered All-ACC Academic recognition for the 2015-16 season, while Abel, Kropp and Anna Quinn were among the 200-plus student-athletes who have qualified for next week's U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
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.
2016 CSCAA Scholar All-America Teams – Duke Selections
Name, Year (First Team/Honorable Mention)
Verity Abel, Sophomore (First Team)
Hunter Aitchison, Freshman (HM)
David Armstrong, Senior (First Team)
Victor Chen, Senior (HM)
Riley Hickman, Freshman (HM)
Peter Kropp, Junior (First Team)
Anna Quinn, Sophomore (HM)
Kirby Quinn, Junior (HM)
Maddie Rusch, Junior (First Team)
Ashleigh Shanley, Junior (HM)
Jessie Sutherland, Junior (First Team)
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