COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Twelve members of the San Diego State swimming and diving program were named to the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America team, with four Aztecs earning first-team honors. The Scarlet and Black's 12 selections brings SDSU's scholar all-American total to 26 since the start of the 2015-2016 season.
To be eligible for first-team recognition, student-athletes must possess a grade point average of 3.50 or better and must have been invited to compete at their respective national championship. Second team, or honorable mention status was given to student-athletes who similarly achieved a GPA of 3.50 and achieved a "B" time standard or competed at an NCAA Regional or Zone Diving qualifier.
The Aztecs earning first-team honors were Elli Ferrin, Samantha Geyer, Alma Thormalm, Courtney Vincent. Delaney Gallagher, Milena Karpisz, Lexi Letts, Lizzie Menzmer, McKenna Meyer, Kristina Murphy, Erica Sarver and Marie Yacopino each earned honorable mention status.
In total, 282 NCAA Division I, II, and III, NAIA and NJCAA teams placed at least one individual on the First or Second (HM) teams.
The 2019-20 season was one for the record books as the Aztecs successfully defended their conference championship while setting new Mountain West-best marks in the 100 breast, 200 breast and the 200-yard medley relay at the 2020 MW Swimming and Diving Championships. SDSU also made noise at the conference title chase taking home eight individual titles and sweeping all five relay events for just the third time in conference history, while also recording the first podium sweep since 2017 in the 50 free. The Scarlet and Black brought home 35 all-MW honors for their efforts at the championships, a league-best mark.
While the NCAA Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards still rolled in for the Aztecs in the 2020 postseason. San Diego State saw a program-record six swimmers and a diver earn CSCAA all-American honors based on their achievements throughout the 2019-20 campaign: junior Elli Ferrin (200 medley relay), sophomore Sammy Geyer (100 breaststroke), Gonzalez (1-meter, 3-meter), senior Morganne McKennan (100 breaststroke), senior Alma Thormalm (200 medley relay), junior Klara Thormalm (100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 200 medley relay) and senior Courtney Vincent (100 butterfly, 200 medley relay).
Additionally, the back-to-back Mountain West Champions swept all four of the conference's end-of-year award as Klara Thormalm was named MW Swimmer of the Year, Ximena Lechuga Gonzalez earned MW Diver of the Year honors, while Shrader and head diving coach Roland McDonald were each acknowledged as the conference's best with coach of the year honors. With the sweep, the Aztecs became just the second program in conference history to earn all four end-of-year awards in the same season.