WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University's Sara Manjikian (Belmont, Mass.) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Week for the week of January 6-12, it was announced today by the league. 

Manjikian earns the honor for the third time this season to match senior teammate Aine Scholand (Albuquerque, N.M.), who has also been recognized three times as the top weekly athlete for the GNAC. The pair become the first teammates in school history to earn the weekly honor at least three times in the same season. Manjikian was also chosen for the weeks of October 21-27 and November 4-10. Scholand was tabbed for the weeks of October 28 to November 3, November 14-20 and December 2-8. 

Manjikian becomes the first diver in history to be named by the GNAC three times in one season. She earns the accolade after winning both of her diving events in a double-dual meet at host Colby-Sawyer College with Regis College (Mass.) on January 11. The junior scored 221.50 points to place first on the three-meter board, while also breaking the Knight Natatorium pool record that stood since 2012 in New London, N.H. Manjikian topped the field on the one-meter board as well, scoring 217.20 points to give her 18 points to tie for the most in the meet. 

The Belmont High School product has swept first place in three meets this season for a total of six victories. A Nursing major, Manjikian has scored 200 or more points on eight occasions this season, including 250.30 points on the one-meter board to set a school record on November 9 vs. Wellesley College. 

Manjikian has earned GNAC All-Conference honors in each of her first two seasons at the Fenway School after placing first on the three-meter board in both years at the conference championship meet. She currently holds the GNAC and school record on the three-meter board for an 11-dive set and also owns the school mark on both the one and three-meter boards for a six-dive set as well. In addition, Manjikian earned All-NEISDA status last season and has earned GNAC Athlete of the Week honors four times during her career. 

Simmons is currently 5-5 on the season and will return to action on Saturday, January 25 when it travels to South Hadley, Mass. to take on Mount Holyoke College at 12:00 p.m.