Storm swimmers earn academic team honors for ninth straight semester

NORFOLK, Va. — For the ninth semester in a row, the Simpson men's and women's swimming and diving teams qualified for College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America recognition. 

The Storm have consistently posted high marks in the classroom under fourth-year head coach, Tom Caccia. To qualify for the award, teams most achieve a grade point average of 3.0 or higher during a given semester. The women posted a 3.30 GPA during the spring semester while the men came in at 3.27.

CSCAA Executive Director Joel Shinofield cited Simpson's success, noting: "Coach Tom Caccia continues to produce excellent results - in and out of the pool - at Simpson ." He added, "We are very fortunate to have schools like Simpson and people like President Simmons and Director of Athletics Niemuth who support these exceptional student-athletes." 

In total, 720 teams, representing 443 institutions achieved a grade point average of 3.0 or higher during the Spring 2017 Semester. Part of the reason for the increase in award-winning teams is the overall growth of the sport. The number of men's and women's institutions sponsoring swimming and diving is at a ten-year high.