Becca Searcy

Betany Yeakley

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Wittenberg University's women's swimming and diving team not only made waves in the pool during the 2005-06 school year, these dedicated student-athletes made the most of their time in the classroom as well.

The Tigers posted an outstanding 3.27 team grade point average to earn a 2005-06 College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Team Academic Award. The award honors men's and women's swimming and diving teams that display excellence in the classroom by maintaining at least a 2.80 cumulative team grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Teams like Wittenberg that finish above a 3.25 cumulative grade point average are further honored with a "superior" rating.

"I am very proud that our student-athletes showed such dedication," said Wittenberg Head Coach Natalie Koukis, who earned North Coast Athletic Conference Women's Swimming Coach of the Year honors after leading the Tigers to a third-place finish in the 2006 championship meet, the best finish ever for the program. "Student-athletes must budget their time and organize themselves well to meet the challenges of both schoolwork and collegiate athletics."

In addition, two recently graduated members of the women's swimming and diving team garnered individual academic honors. Becca Searcy, class of 2006 from Shelbyville, Ky., and Betany Yeakley, class of 2006 from Wilmington, Ohio, each earned 4.0 grade point averages during the second semester of their senior year to earn CSCAA Academic All-America honors. Searcy, a four-time national qualifier, earned Academic All-America recognition, while Yeakley, who just missed the national meet three straight years despite provisional qualifying times, made the Honorable Mention Academic All-America list.

The Tigers will open the 2006-07 season on Oct. 21 in the annual North Coast Athletic Conference Relays, hosted by Kenyon College.

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