NORFOLK, Va. -- Simmons College's Aine Scholand (Albuquerque, N.M.) was named a 2018 College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America Scholar All-American it was announced today by the CSCAA. Scholand is one of a record 1,069 swimmers and divers who were designated as Scholar All-America. The award recognizes students that have achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and competed at their respective NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. The selections were drawn from 181 colleges and universities across all Divisions.
Scholand becomes the first swimmer or diver in school history to be named a Scholar All-American. The Neuroscience and Behavior major posted a 3.92 grade point average for the year at Simmons and also landed a spot on the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association All-Academic team in April.
The academic honor caps an outstanding first season with the Sharks for the sophomore transfer. Scholand was eligible for the academic honor after qualifying for the NCAA Championship meet and delivered in the meet with a second-place finish on a school-record time of 16:51.01 in the 1650-yard freestyle to earn First Team All-America accolades. Her second place effort followed an 11th-place showing in the 500-yard freestyle with a new school mark of 4:56.76. The Sandia High School product was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Year and was also tabbed the Simmons College Athlete of the Year. In addition, Scholand was named the Bruce Hutchinson Swimmer of the Meet at the New England Intercollegiate Swimming & Diving Association Championship in February after breaking three school and meet records to capture a trio of gold medals in her individual events, while helping Simmons win the 800 and 400-yard freestyle relay events in addition to a second-place showing in the 200-yard freestyle. The second-year swimmer obliterated the conference record in the 1650 by nearly 50 seconds and the pool record by 14-plus seconds. Scholand also set GNAC and pool records in the 500-yard and 200-yard freestyle, respectively, as part of a 74-point tally to tie for the most points scored in the championship meet for the Sharks in December.
Simmons enjoyed, perhaps, the greatest season in school history, finishing 26th at the NCAA Championship, while owning a dual meet season record of 11-2 to register double-digit wins for the fifth straight season. In addition, the Sharks won their first-ever NEISDA Championship in February and its 14th straight Great Northeast Athletic Conference title in December. Head Coach Mindy Williams was named the Coach of the Year by both NEISDA and GNAC, while first year Maria Soraghan (East Hampstead, N.H.) was tabbed the GNAC Rookie of the Year.