Laura Simpson
Laura Simpson
Height: 6-0
Year: Junior
Hometown: Perkiomenville, Pa.
High School: Boyertown
Major: Exercise Science

2017-18 Season: Named to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference All-Conference Team after helping the Sharks to a win in the 400-yard freestyle relay at the GNAC Championship in early December ... Named to the GNAC Academic All-Conference Team ... Chosen to the North England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association All-Academic Team ... In addition, also placed second in the 500-yard and 1650-yard freestyle events to go with a third-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke and a fourth-place showing in the 200-yard freestyle ... Came up big in the 200-yard freestyle at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association Championship in February, finishing second with a personal-record time of 1:56.48 and added a third-place effort in the 1650-yard freestyle to go with a fourth-place showing in the 500-yard freestyle in addition to helping Simmons win the 800-yard freestyle relay, while earning All-NEISDA status in four events ... Received GNAC Athlete of the Week honors in February and finished 15th overall at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship in the 1650 on February 23 ... Racked up 28 top-five finishes for the season, including seven wins and scored 207 points to rank fifth on the team ... Scored 27 points with first-place finishes in the 200 and 500-yard freestyle and the 200-yard individual medley vs. Mount Holyoke College on February 3. 

2016-17 Season: Earned Great Northeast Athletic Conference All-Conference honors after winning three events and helping the Sharks win a relay ... Ranked second on the team with 263 points ... Won the 500 and 1000-yard freestyle events as well as the 400-yard individual medley, while setting a conference record in the 1000-free and a school and league mark in the 400-IM, in addition to helping the Sharks win the 800-yard freestyle relay in meet-record time at the GNAC Championship on December 3 ... Also placed third in the 200-yard freestyle to contribute to 76 points for the third-most in the meet ... Dominated the distance events during the season, posting 17 of her 25 top-three performances in either the 500, 1000 or 1650-yard freestyle events, including 13 of her 16 overall victories and was chosen as the GNAC Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week once during the year ... Placed second in both the 500 and 1650 races at the NEISDA Championship and added a third-place effort in the 1000 to total 83 points for the meet ... Capped the season by placing eighth at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Open Championship with a school-record time of 17:38.31 in the 1650, including a school-record 1000 split time of 10:36.33 ... Won six straight freestyle events from January 14 to January 28, including a trio of first place efforts with wins in the 200, 500 and 1000-yard freestyle events vs. Mount Holyoke College on January 28.

2015-16 Season: Named Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and was also named to the GNAC All-Conference team ... Established herself as the greatest distance swimmer in school history after breaking school marks in the 500, 1000 and 1650-yard freestyle events ... Tabbed the GNAC Rookie of the Week a league-high five times and was selected the ECAC New England Rookie of the Week twice ... One of two Sharks in school history to gain multiple wins at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association Championships and earned All-NEISDA status in six different events by virtue of finishing among the top eight in three individual events and the top four in three relay races on February 12-14 ... Won the 500-yard freestyle with a school-record time of 5:08.77 and erased the school mark in the 1000-yard freestyle by more than 10 seconds to win her second NEISDA crown in addition to finishing second in the 1650-yard freestyle, eclipsing the school standard by more than 11 seconds with a time of 17:46.95 ... Dominated the freestyle events from 200 to 1650 yards, winning 17 of 25 races that she entered, including all five 200-yard races in dual meet competition ... Led the team with 275 points on the season ... Racked up a meet-high 76 points, while capturing titles in the 200, 500 and 1650-yard freestyle events at the GNAC Championship in December ... Shattered the GNAC record in the 1650 with a time of 17:58.42 and also surged past the conference mark in the 500 with a clip of 5:11.84 ... Placed second in the 500-yard freestyle at the New England Invitational on November 7 ... Turned in 29 top-three finishes, including 20 first place showings. 

High School/Personal: Four-year letterwinner in both swimming and diving and cross country, while earning two letters in track and field for Boyertown High School ... Competed at the YMCA National Long Course Championships all four years for the Boyertown YMCA Navy Seals ... Placed seventh in the 400-yard freestyle at the 2014 YMCA National Long Course Championships in addition to placing 10th in the 100-yard freestyle for the Navy Seals ... Finished fifth in the 500-yard freestyle and seventh in the 200-yard freestyle at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association District One Championships and also qualified for the State Championship meet ... Named to the Pioneer Athletic Conference First Team for the 500-yard freestyle and was an Honorable Mention selection in the 200-yard freestyle ... Tabbed a Second Team All-Berks selection for the 200-yard freestyle in 2014 and the 500-yard freestyle in 2013 ... Also named to the All-Berks Third Team in 2012 for her role on the 400-yard freestyle relay squad ... Chosen a Captain for both the swimming and diving and cross country team's at BHS as a senior ... Earned High Honors all four years at Boyertown High ... Member of National Honor Society, Key Club, Orchestra, Chorus at BHS and was a County Chorus Accompanist ... Also volunteered for the Special Olympics ... Born July 2, 1997 ... Majoring in Exercise Science at Simmons ... Daughter of Cynthia and Jim Simpson ... Enjoys cooking and journaling.

The Volleyball season is just a few months away and we can't wait to see our newest Shark, Taylor O'Neill on the court in the fall!?#‎SimmonsVolleyball? ?#‎GoSharks?