University of Massachusets Athletics
Massachusetts Swim And Dive Place Eight On CSC Academic All-District Team
April 03, 2024 | Men's Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
Bell, Eastham, Mitchell and Pierce highlight the octet as CSC Academic All-America Finalists.
AMHERST, Mass. - Â Eight members of the University of Massachusetts swim and dive team earned Academic All-District honors, as announced by the College Sports Communicators organization on Tuesday. Jack Artis, Andrew Bell, Maggie Desmond, Eric Eastham, Sam Haddad, Caroline Mahoney, Megan Mitchell and Summer Pierce were selected for their efforts in the pool and in the classroom, while Bell, Eastham, Mitchell and Pierce advanced to the Academic All-America ballot as finalists.
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The 2023-24 Academic All-District® Men's and Women's Swimming and DivingTteams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the pool and in the classroom. The student-athletes must maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher.
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Bell, a South Windsor, Connecticut, native, is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Sciences and Mathematics. He claimed first place in 18 across both the one-meter and three-meter diving events, while breaking school all-time and pool records several times throughout the season. Earlier in the year, Bell set a new school record, as well as a new Joseph R. Rogers, Jr. Pool record in the one-meter with a score of 409.05 on January 6. Bell also broke the three-meter record three times this season, before setting on a personal-best 461.40 on February 10. Bell was named the Atlantic 10 Diver of the Year and became only the second diver in UMass men's swimming and diving history to qualify for the NCAA Swim & Dive Championships after scoring a 730.80 (12-dive) to take fifth in the one-meter, and a 664.80 (12-dive) in the three-meter to place eighth at the NCAA Zone A Championships.
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While at the NCAA Championships, Bell finished 20th in the three-meter event, marking the highest finish for a UMass men's diver in program history. Bell's place in the three-meter dive is the highest finish for either the men's or women's team since Emma Roush placed 15th in the one-meter dive in 2017. In the three-meter dive, he recorded a six-dive total of 350.70 in the event trials. During the one-meter diving trials, the Bell scored a 280.80 to earn 42nd on the day.Â
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Eastham, a West Springfield, Massachusetts, native, is earning his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology. During the season, he won gold in one individual event and placed within the top-three 13 times. He grabbed the silver medal in the 200 backstroke at the A-10 Championships with a personal-best time of 1:44.96, while helping the 400 freestyle relay team to fifth-place with a school record time of 2:57.12. Eastham currently holds the school record in the 200 backstroke with his time of 1:44.96, and is ranked fourth all-time in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:37.66. Â
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Mitchell, a Western Springs, Illinois, native, is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Marketing. She earned five first-place finishes on the season, and was within the top-three 15 times. At the A-10 Championships, she swam into seventh in the 100 backstroke with a personal-best time of 54.44 and claimed the bronze medal in the 200 backstroke with a personal-best time of 1:55.83. Mitchell also helped the 200 medley relay team a third-place finish with a time of 1:40.06, marking a new school record. She holds five all-time records and broke the school record in the 100 backstroke (54.44) and the 200 backstroke (1:55.83). Additionally, Mitchel is ninth all-time in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:05.91 and has a record held with the 200 freestyle relay team with a time of 1:32.00.
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Pierce, an Owego, New York, native, is currently working towards her bachelor's degree in Kinesiology. She took home the gold medal 12 times on the year and placed within the top-three 20 times. She finished fifth in the 200 butterfly (2:00.24), seventh in the 100 butterfly (54.40) and 13th in the 200 individual medley (2:04.53) at the A-10 Conference Championships. Pierce has etched her named in the all-time records six times, and holds the school record in the 100 butterfly (53.77) and the 200 butterfly (1:59.68), while being a member of the record holding 400 medley relay team (3:43.71). She is also eight all-time in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:03.54 and second all-time in the 200 individual medley (2:01.68). During the season, Pierce tabbed Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week once.
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Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on April 24.
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The 2023-24 Academic All-District® Men's and Women's Swimming and DivingTteams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the pool and in the classroom. The student-athletes must maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher.
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Bell, a South Windsor, Connecticut, native, is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Sciences and Mathematics. He claimed first place in 18 across both the one-meter and three-meter diving events, while breaking school all-time and pool records several times throughout the season. Earlier in the year, Bell set a new school record, as well as a new Joseph R. Rogers, Jr. Pool record in the one-meter with a score of 409.05 on January 6. Bell also broke the three-meter record three times this season, before setting on a personal-best 461.40 on February 10. Bell was named the Atlantic 10 Diver of the Year and became only the second diver in UMass men's swimming and diving history to qualify for the NCAA Swim & Dive Championships after scoring a 730.80 (12-dive) to take fifth in the one-meter, and a 664.80 (12-dive) in the three-meter to place eighth at the NCAA Zone A Championships.
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While at the NCAA Championships, Bell finished 20th in the three-meter event, marking the highest finish for a UMass men's diver in program history. Bell's place in the three-meter dive is the highest finish for either the men's or women's team since Emma Roush placed 15th in the one-meter dive in 2017. In the three-meter dive, he recorded a six-dive total of 350.70 in the event trials. During the one-meter diving trials, the Bell scored a 280.80 to earn 42nd on the day.Â
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Eastham, a West Springfield, Massachusetts, native, is earning his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology. During the season, he won gold in one individual event and placed within the top-three 13 times. He grabbed the silver medal in the 200 backstroke at the A-10 Championships with a personal-best time of 1:44.96, while helping the 400 freestyle relay team to fifth-place with a school record time of 2:57.12. Eastham currently holds the school record in the 200 backstroke with his time of 1:44.96, and is ranked fourth all-time in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:37.66. Â
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Mitchell, a Western Springs, Illinois, native, is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Marketing. She earned five first-place finishes on the season, and was within the top-three 15 times. At the A-10 Championships, she swam into seventh in the 100 backstroke with a personal-best time of 54.44 and claimed the bronze medal in the 200 backstroke with a personal-best time of 1:55.83. Mitchell also helped the 200 medley relay team a third-place finish with a time of 1:40.06, marking a new school record. She holds five all-time records and broke the school record in the 100 backstroke (54.44) and the 200 backstroke (1:55.83). Additionally, Mitchel is ninth all-time in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:05.91 and has a record held with the 200 freestyle relay team with a time of 1:32.00.
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Pierce, an Owego, New York, native, is currently working towards her bachelor's degree in Kinesiology. She took home the gold medal 12 times on the year and placed within the top-three 20 times. She finished fifth in the 200 butterfly (2:00.24), seventh in the 100 butterfly (54.40) and 13th in the 200 individual medley (2:04.53) at the A-10 Conference Championships. Pierce has etched her named in the all-time records six times, and holds the school record in the 100 butterfly (53.77) and the 200 butterfly (1:59.68), while being a member of the record holding 400 medley relay team (3:43.71). She is also eight all-time in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:03.54 and second all-time in the 200 individual medley (2:01.68). During the season, Pierce tabbed Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week once.
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Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on April 24.
Players Mentioned
Breast/IM
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Diving
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breast/Free
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Free
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Breast
/ Men's Swimming & Diving
Free/Back
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Back
/ Women's Swimming & Diving
Fly/IM
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