The College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) announced the Scholar All America Team and Individual Awards for this past season. Once again, Fordham was honored with both the men's and women's swimming & diving teams, receiving Scholar All-American Team status. This is the tenth consecutive year that both squads have been on the Scholar All-American team. In addition to the team awards, Fordham's
Brienne Ryan and
Steve Sholdra were honored individually.
Instituted during the 2003-04 academic year, the criteria for the Scholar All-American Team award is given to a team competing at the NCAA, NAIA, or junior college levels, and maintains a GPA of a 3.0 or better. The GPA includes all athletes who competed in any competition during the course of the season.
The Fordham men's team had a GPA of 3.05, ranking them 59th overall out of the 72 teams that qualified.
The Fordham women's team posted a 3.21 team GPA, which put them 116th overall, making them one of 149 schools honored.
Fordham joined fellow Jesuit institution, Xavier, as well as George Washington, as the only three Atlantic 10 schools to have both teams honored. The women's teams from Richmond, Duquesne, Butler, Rhode Island, La Salle, and Massachusetts were the other Atlantic 10 teams listed.
"This has been a team-oriented goal that our kids always strive for ever since the CSCAA instituted it," said head coach
Steve Potsklan. "We are extremely proud of our student-athletes for the work they do not just in the pool, but in the classroom."
For individual honors, the Scholar All American award is presented to those, who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher, for the semester or cumulative average, and have qualified for and competed at their respective national championship. The award is presented in the semester of the NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA Swimming and Diving Championships (Winter/Spring).
The Honorable Mention Scholar All American award is presented to those, who have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, for the semester or cumulative average, and have achieved a "B" time standard, but have not qualified to compete in their respective national championship. Divers qualify by competing at their respective championship qualifying meets. The award is presented in the semester of the NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA Swimming and Diving Championships (Winter/Spring).
Fordham's
Brienne Ryan was one of two Atlantic 10 performers to be placed on the CSCAA NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Scholar All-American First Team, along with Massachusetts diver Michaela Butler.
For Ryan, the honor finishes off a wonderful career at Fordham. Earlier this summer, she was among the eight Atlantic 10 Conference nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, which celebrates the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics and recognizes not only the athletics achievements of outstanding young women, but also their academic achievements, community service and leadership.
Ryan was the co-recipient of the 2013 Claire & Jack Hobbs Memorial Award, presented annually to the female athlete of the year, as well as the 2012-2013 Women's Swimming and Diving MVP.
Ryan was once again one of the most dominant performers in the Atlantic 10 conference, setting a conference record with six performer of the week awards, and becoming the fourth Ram to win multiple events at an A-10 championship, capturing both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke titles, setting the league record in the 200 event.
Ryan capped her career by competing at the NCAA championship in the backstroke events for the second straight year, the only women's swimmer to have ever done so, and was named Academic All-Atlantic 10 for the second time. She graduated holding four school records in the freestyle and backstroke events, as well as four relay records.
A two-time Atlantic 10 All-Academic and an A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll selection, Ryan graduated with a degree in Communications and Media Studies and a minor in Visual Arts. She also served as a member of the Fordham SAAC representing the Rams swimming & diving team, and has volunteered with Special Olympics. Ryan also has been a major participant and organizer in Sandy Saturday, designed to help victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Sholdra was the lone men's performer in the Atlantic 10 honored, as he was placed on the CSCAA NCAA Division I Men's Swimming & Diving Scholar All-American Honorable Mention list.
Sholdra had an outstanding freshman campaign, posting Fordham's top times in the distance freestyle events as well as in the 400 individual medley, and was an Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week a conference record seven times and a member of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll in both semesters.
He broke three individual school records as a freshman and one relay record. Sholdra's season ended in style by winning the 1650-yard freestyle event at the Atlantic 10 Championship, setting the Atlantic 10 and school record in 15:24.66. He also set the school record in the 1000-yard freestyle as a part of the 1650-yard event (9:16.22), and was also a part of a third school record at the Atlantic 10 Championship in the 800 freestyle relay that clocked in 6:41.92.
Following the season, Sholdra was invited to compete in the USA Swimming Open Water Nationals in Castaic Lake, California, where he placed 15th in the 5K swim and 17th in the 10K event.
Founded in 1922, the College Swimming Coaches Association of America is the oldest professional organization of college coaches in America. The CSCAA is dedicated to serving and providing leadership for the advancement of the sport of swimming and diving at the collegiate level.
