Women’s Swimming and Men’s Basketball recognized as national scholars

Student-athletes at Anderson University are held to rigorous standards, impressing their coaches and professors both on the court and in the classroom. This summer, two AU teams earned national recognition for their academic success.

In June, the AU women’s swimming team earned Scholar All-American recognition from the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).

With a 3.40 team GPA, AU received recognition for the spring 2017 semester. The women student-athletes also earned Scholar All-American honors for the fall 2016 semester. This was the inaugural season for the swimming program at AU.

More than 700 teams, including men’s and women’s programs in all NCAA divisions, NAIA, and junior colleges achieved a 3.0 or higher grade point average for the spring term. It is the first time in the 95-year history of the CSCAA that more than 700 teams qualified for Scholar All-America.

“Our ladies once again proved that Ravens are smart birds,” said swimming coach Conner Snare. “Even out of season our women’s team strove towards academic excellence and were awarded for their perseverance. Again, I realized I’m blessed to have the privilege to coach such intelligent and hard-working athletes who want to leave their mark both in the pool and the classroom.”

In July, the AU men’s basketball program earned The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award for the second straight year.

Anderson is one of only 84 programs to receive this award for a second straight year. Among that group of back-to-back recipients, AU is one of seven schools – and the only one from Indiana – in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

The awards recognize outstanding academic achievement by teams with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better for the 2016-17 season.

“This recognition reflects a lot of hard work on the part of a group of students who take their academic work seriously, and who also happen to be pretty good basketball players,” said men’s basketball coach Owen Handy. “I am proud of our team; they are very deserving of this honor.”

More information about the NABC award can be found via their NABC release. More information about the CSCAA honors can be found on their website.

Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.