Three Earn CSCAA Scholar All-America Individual Honors
7/6/2021 11:54:00 AM | Swimming and Diving
East Lansing, Mich. -- Three Michigan State student-athletes – diver Amanda Ling (Wixom, Mich.) and swimmers Erin Szara (Northville, Mich.) and Travis Nitkiewicz (Novi, Mich.) have been named to the list of Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America lists. Ling was a First Team selection, while both Nitkiewicz and Szara earned Honorable Mention consideration.
Complete CSCAA Release
The annual award recognizes students who achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and were invited to compete at their respective national championship.
First-Team Scholar All-America student-athletes must have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher and participated in their national championship. Second-Team selections (also called Honorable Mention) must have also earned a 3.50 GPA or higher and achieved a "B" time standard for the national championship or participated at a diving zone qualification meet.
This season, Nitkiewicz is both a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten recipient, as well as a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Winner. At the Big Ten Championships, he swam a lifetime best in the 100 breast prelims, and was also a first alternate into the finals of the 200 breast, earning NCAA "B" cuts in both events. Also at Big Tens, was a part of MSU's 200 medey relay and was MSU's top finisher in the 200 IM.
Szara wrapped her Spartan career with both Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors. She swam in the Wave I US Olympic Trials in early June, taking 34th in the 100 breast. At a busy Big Ten Championships, she finished eighth in the 100 breast (an NCAA B qualifier) and 19th in the 200 breast. She also raced in the 50 free and helped the 400 medley relay and 200 medley relay to top-10 finishes.
Ling finished her MSU career as one of the most decorated Spartans to come through the program. Ling won the year's most prestigious academic honor of the 2020-21 swimming & diving season, the NCAA's Elite 90 Award. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. In addition, the May 2021 graduate was one of eight Spartan senior student-athletes to share the prestigious President's Award at the Student Athlete Support Services (SASS) Academic Gala and was MSU's female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor. A Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten selection, Ling is also a four-time Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-American. She advanced to the NCAA Championship weekend as a senior for the first time in her career, where in the 1M diving competition she scored a 247.95 to finish 37th overall nationally.
Complete CSCAA Release
The annual award recognizes students who achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and were invited to compete at their respective national championship.
First-Team Scholar All-America student-athletes must have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher and participated in their national championship. Second-Team selections (also called Honorable Mention) must have also earned a 3.50 GPA or higher and achieved a "B" time standard for the national championship or participated at a diving zone qualification meet.
This season, Nitkiewicz is both a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten recipient, as well as a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Winner. At the Big Ten Championships, he swam a lifetime best in the 100 breast prelims, and was also a first alternate into the finals of the 200 breast, earning NCAA "B" cuts in both events. Also at Big Tens, was a part of MSU's 200 medey relay and was MSU's top finisher in the 200 IM.
Szara wrapped her Spartan career with both Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors. She swam in the Wave I US Olympic Trials in early June, taking 34th in the 100 breast. At a busy Big Ten Championships, she finished eighth in the 100 breast (an NCAA B qualifier) and 19th in the 200 breast. She also raced in the 50 free and helped the 400 medley relay and 200 medley relay to top-10 finishes.
Ling finished her MSU career as one of the most decorated Spartans to come through the program. Ling won the year's most prestigious academic honor of the 2020-21 swimming & diving season, the NCAA's Elite 90 Award. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. In addition, the May 2021 graduate was one of eight Spartan senior student-athletes to share the prestigious President's Award at the Student Athlete Support Services (SASS) Academic Gala and was MSU's female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor. A Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten selection, Ling is also a four-time Collegiate Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-American. She advanced to the NCAA Championship weekend as a senior for the first time in her career, where in the 1M diving competition she scored a 247.95 to finish 37th overall nationally.
Players Mentioned
Diving
/ Swimming and Diving
Breast/IM
/ Swimming and Diving
Breast
/ Swimming and DivingMichigan State vs Northwestern | Swimming and Diving
Saturday, November 02
Michigan State vs. Illinois | Women's Swimming and Diving
Saturday, October 19
Swim and Dive | Payton Woods
Monday, September 30
Swim and Dive | Nehmemiah Mork
Monday, September 30