CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Nineteen men and women have been named to the America East Swimming and Diving All-Academic teams as released by the conference office Tuesday, March 16. Excelling both academically and athletically, these student-athletes represent the best of the America East Conference.
Two relay gold medalists and four All-Conference performers highlight the men’s All-Academic Team. UMBC junior Keilan Freeman (Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Argyll Centre) and Boston University junior Bryon Kallert (New Milford, N.J.) both captured a gold medal in relay events at the championship to earn a spot on the All-Conference team. UMBC sophomore John Mendenhall (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East) and senior Zach Vonder Haar (Gahanna, Ohio/Columbus Academy) were also All-Conference selections. Rounding out the All-Academic Team are Binghamton University sophomores Dan Feeley (Rye, N.Y./Rye) and Joe Perez-Rogers (Woodstock, N.Y./Woodstock), Stony Brook University sophomores Zackery Good (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North) and Connor Murray (Hyde Park, N.Y./ Rhinebeck) and UMBC junior Phillip Novotny (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde).
All 10 members of the women’s All-Academic team are All-Conference Team members, including three-time gold medalist Boston University sophomore Amanda Schmitz (Pleasanton, Calif.). Individual gold medalists University of Vermont senior Molly MacMillan (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) and Boston University senior Emily Munday (Butte, Mont.) also are All-Academic Team selections. UMBC graduate student Tina Cantwell (Sinking Spring, Pa./The Hill School), and seniors Tereza Kaplanova (Prague, Czech Republic/Gymnazium J.G. Jankovskeho) and Lindsay Sherman (Bethany, Conn./Amity), Boston University senior Brigette O’Shaughnessy (Carlsbad, Calif.), sophomore Kristen Connors (Mansfield, Mass.), and juniors Sarah Colton (Wheatfield, N.Y.) and Kristen Tullis (Glen Mills, Pa./Archmere Academy) complete the women’s All-Academic Team.
The All-Academic squads are a product of the June 2005 Athletics Director meetings, where faculty representatives and athletics directors from each of the conference’s nine member institutions decided to honor the league’s top student-athletes, whom excel equally in the classroom as they do on the playing field.
For the second straight year, America East will select the All-Academic teams using CoSIDA’s Academic All-America program as a model. Student-athletes worthy of consideration are nominated by member sports information directors and voted on by a committee of SIDs, academic advisors and faculty representatives from all nine member institutions.
All-Academic squads for team sports are based on the number of athletes that participate in a contest at one time or are made up of 10 student-athletes for individual sports. To be nominated for the distinction, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s games or competitions. In the classroom, student-athletes must have a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. Freshmen are not eligible for consideration.
Men’s Swimming and Diving All-Academic Team
Name Cl. School Hometown/High School GPA Major
Dan Feeley So. Binghamton Rye, N.Y./Rye 3.83 Economics
Keilan Freeman Jr. UMBC Calgary, Alberta, Canada/Argyll Centre 4.00 Mechanical engineering
Zackery Good So. Stony Brook Columbus, Ind./Columbus North 3.34 Marine sciences
Bryon Kallert Jr. Boston U. New Milford, N.J. 3.49 Accounting and finance
John Mendenhall So. UMBC Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill East 3.38 Biological sciences
Connor Murray So. Stony Brook Hyde Park, N.Y./Rhinebeck 3.37 History
Phillip Novotny Jr. UMBC Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde 3.56 Mechanical engineering
Joe Perez-Rogers So. Binghamton Woodstock, N.Y./Woodstock 3.44 Mechanical Engineering
Zach Vonder Haar Sr. UMBC Gahanna, Ohio/Columbus Academy 3.56 Chemical engineering
Women’s Swimming and Diving All-Academic Team
Name Cl. School Hometown/Previous School GPA Major
Tina Cantwell Gr. UMBC Sinking Spring, Pa./The Hill School 3.67 Industrial and organizational psychology
Sarah Colton Jr. Boston U. Wheatfield, N.Y 3.43 Marketing
Kristen Connors So. Boston U. Mansfield, Mass. 3.52 Graphic design
Tereza Kaplanova Sr. UMBC Prague, Czech Republic/Gymnazium J.G. Jankovskeho 3.86 Political science
Molly MacMillan Sr. Vermont Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West 3.57 Environmental studies & Spanish
Emily Munday Sr. Boston U. Butte, Mont. 3.48 Marine science
Brigette O’Shaughnessy Sr. Boston U. Carlsbad, Calif. 3.60 Business administration and management
Amanda Schmitz So. Boston U. Pleasanton, Calif. 3.49 College of General Studies
Lindsay Sherman Sr. UMBC Bethany, Conn./Amity 3.61 Biochemistry and molecular biology
Kirsten Tullis Jr. Boston U. Glen Mills, Pa./Archmere Academy 3.3 Political science major, minor in journalism