Warrior Swimming Earns Academic Three-Peat
Both Squads Honored with CSCAA Academic All-American Status

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. --- In what has been a banner season for Lycoming College student-athletes in terms of recognition of their achievements both on and off the field, Warrior swimming continued the blue and gold trend with a pair scholastic team awards from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).  For the third consecutive year, both the men’s and women’s swimming squads have been honored with CSCAA Academic All-American status.

To be eligible for the CSCAA Academic All-American Award program, a team must have a 2.80 grade point average or better on a 4.00 scale for the semester.  Based on the overall term grade point average, a team will be ranked either in the commendable (2.80-2.99 GPA), excellent (3.00-3.24 GPA), or superior (3.25 GPA and above) standard.  All swimmers who competed in any competition during the course of the year, regardless of their current academic situation, must be included in the team calculations.

After falling short of the superior standard by a combined total of 0.05 points over the past two years, the Lady Warriors catapulted themselves into the upper echelon with plenty of room to spare after posting an extraordinary 3.37 term grade point average for the spring 2006 semester.  Among the women’s standouts were sophomore Jess Bugno (Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Hts.), junior Maria Millen (Berea, Ohio/Berea), seniors Amy Gatehouse (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) and Arianna Brawn (Portsmouth, N.H./Portsmouth), and graduate Kelly Sykes (Willimantic, Conn./Windham).

The men, having reached the excellent standard two years ago, have finished in the commendable standard the past two years including this season’s impressive 2.89 grade point average.  Sophomore Brandon Good (Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield), senior Chris Dempsey (Newtown, Pa./Notre Dame), and graduates Kyle Drake (Tannersville, Pa./Pocono Mtn.), Steve Hawley (New Cumberland, Pa./Trinity), and Stuart Olsen (Evanston, Ill./Evanston) spearheaded the squad’s efforts.

"The primary goal of our teams is to develop outstanding student-athletes,” explained head coach Jerry Hammaker.  “I am very proud of the work that our swimmers have done in the classroom.  Our overall team gpa's along with some outstanding individual gpa's definitely prove that we are getting the job done in the classroom as well as we do in the water.”