SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A total of 32 Summit League swimming and diving student-athletes, 16 men and 16 women, have been selected to the 2020-21 Academic All-League Team as voted on by Faculty Athletic Representatives and Athletic Communications Directors from the league's member institutions.
For 20 of the 32 honorees, it was their first time earning the swimming and diving academic all-league award. Denver’s Charlotte Simon and South Dakota’s Haley Pederson earned their third straight academic all-league honor, while Scott House of Eastern Illinois and Jared Miller of South Dakota State earned their third straight all-league accolade on the men’s side
Sarah Lohman of Eastern Illinois, Brandi Vu of Denver, South Dakota’s Isabel Fairbanks, South Dakota State’s Kristen Davis and Tiffany Nguyen earned their second academic all-league honor on the women's side. On the men’s side, South Dakota’s Jake Leichner and Jacob Won, Eastern Illinois’ Joel Talley and South Dakota State’s Cody Watkins earned their second academic all-league award.
To be eligible for the Academic All-League team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale), completed at least one full academic year at the current institution and participated in 50 percent of their team's competitions.
Nominations are made by athletic communications directors from the league's seven institutions that compete in swimming and diving, and voting is conducted by both the athletic communications directors and facility athletic representatives (FARs). Each team is made up of the 15 student-athletes receiving the most votes with all ties standing.
2020 Men’s Swimming & Diving Academic All-League Team
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
GPA |
Major |
| Scott House*** |
Eastern Illinois |
Sr. |
Elizabethtown, Ky. |
3.97 |
Kinesiology, Sport & Recreation |
| Ben Kopp |
South Dakota |
Sr. |
Otsego, Minn. |
3.50 |
Business Administration |
| Jake Leichner** |
South Dakota |
Jr. |
Highlands Ranch, Colo. |
3.55 |
Operational Analytics |
| Darragh Mahns |
Denver |
Jr. |
Missoula, Mont. |
3.64 |
Computer Science |
| Jared Miller*** |
South Dakota State |
Sr. |
Baker City, Ore. |
3.97 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Max White |
South Dakota State |
So. |
Kokomo, Ind. |
4.00 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Riley Babson |
Denver |
So. |
Vail, Ariz. |
3.69 |
Biological Sciences |
| Forrest Baumgartner |
Eastern Illinois |
Jr. |
Culver, Ind. |
3.45 |
Biochemistry |
| Cooper Fuchs |
South Dakota |
Sr. |
Oak Park, Calif. |
3.44 |
Communications |
| Zachary Kopp |
South Dakota |
So. |
Otsego, Minn. |
3.68 |
Kinesiology |
| Joel Talley** |
Eastern Illinois |
Jr. |
Troy, Mo. |
3.92 |
Biochemistry |
| Erik Thompson |
South Dakota State |
So. |
Prior Lake, Minn. |
3.57 |
Civil Engineering |
| Jacob Won** |
South Dakota |
Jr. |
Katy, Texas |
3.89 |
Medical Biology |
| Derek Eidson |
Valparaiso |
Jr. |
Ventura, Calif. |
3.35 |
Economics and Psychology |
| Cody Watkins** |
South Dakota State |
Sr. |
Soldotna, Alaska |
3.35 |
Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences |
| Gavin Wheeler |
South Dakota State |
So. |
Atlanta, Ga. |
3.46 |
Aviation |
*Career Academic All-League honors
2020 Women’s Swimming & Diving Academic All-League Team
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
GPA |
Major |
| Sarah Lohman** |
Eastern Illinois |
Sr. |
Gilbert, Ariz. |
4.00 |
Pre-Physical Therapy |
| Haley Pederson*** |
South Dakota |
Sr. |
West Fargo, N.D. |
4.00 |
Management |
| Charlotte Simon*** |
Denver |
Sr. |
Saint Remy, France |
3.96 |
Marketing and Business Analytics |
| Brandi Vu** |
Denver |
Jr. |
Longmont, Colo. |
3.98 |
Business Analytics |
| Isabel Fairbanks** |
South Dakota |
Jr. |
Highland, Mich. |
3.96 |
Health Sciences |
| Sydney Haynes |
Omaha |
Jr. |
Waxhaw, N.C. |
4.00 |
Biology |
| Erika Remington |
Denver |
So. |
Cedarburg, Wis. |
4.00 |
Biology and Spanish |
| Emily Vandenberg |
Denver |
Sr. |
Ajax, Ontario |
3.89 |
Biology and French |
| Kristen Davis** |
South Dakota State |
Sr. |
Durban, South Africa |
3.84 |
Exercise Science |
| Leah Drengenberg |
South Dakota |
Jr. |
Dixon, Ill. |
3.83 |
Medical Biology |
| Maddie Lavin |
South Dakota |
Jr. |
Vermillion, S.D. |
3.85 |
Neuroscience |
| Tiffany Nguyen** |
South Dakota State |
Sr. |
Plymouth, Minn. |
3.76 |
Pharmacy |
| Alyssa Eckstein |
South Dakota State |
So. |
Big Lake, Minn. |
4.00 |
Mathematics and Entrepreneurial Studies |
| Madison Gallagher |
South Dakota |
Sr. |
St. Michael, Minn. |
3.78 |
Medical Biology |
| Annika Skogg |
South Dakota State |
Sr. |
Eden Prairie, Minn. |
4.00 |
Pharmacy/French Studies |
| Grace Witherspoon |
South Dakota State |
So. |
Eden Prairie, Minn. |
3.81 |
Pre-Nursing |
*Career Academic All-League honors
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