The College Swimming Coaches Association has released its annual Scholar All-American awards, and I am proud to announce that 4 of our women have received Scholar All-American Honors and our Women’s Team was named a CSCAA Scholar All-American Team for Spring 2009.

Rising junior Marissa Morris (Tom’s River, NJ) has been named a Scholar All-American.  To be considered for this award, an athlete must have qualified for the NCAA Championships and achieved a GPA a 3.50 or higher.

Graduated seniors Erica Ellis and Joelle Hopf, and rising junior Jess Lester have been named Honorable Mention Scholar All-Americans.  For this, the athletes must have achieved an NCAA Consideration Time as well as a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

Our women’s team has continued to excel in the classroom, claiming a team GPA of 3.47 for spring 2009, which tied them for 16th in the NCAA among ALL division 3 teams.  They have been named a Scholar All-American Team yet again.

Many congratulations to all the recipients!

Scholar All-American article

Scholar All-American team article

Marissa Morris, a sophomore from Tom’s River, NJ, is a first time qualifer for the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships next week in Minneapolis, MN.  She’ll compete in the 500 free, 200 free, and 200 back.  Her, along with roommate and fellow sophomore Christine Rieth, will represent New Paltz for the 5th consecutive year at the Women’s Championship.  New Paltz has finished in the top 20 in each of the last 2 seasons.

10 Questions with Marissa Morris:

1.  Lets start with a bit of background.  How long have you been swimming?  What club team / high school team?

I have been a year-round swimmer for nine years.  I swam for the Ocean County YMCA for seven years and I swam varsity on my high school team, Toms River High School East, for all four years.

Before coming to New Paltz my biggest swimming accomplishment was traveling to YMCA Nationals as a relay-only swimmer.  Also my senior year I made finals for high school Meet of Champions, which was a big achievement.

The reason I chose to attend New Paltz was due to persuasion from my club coach, Lou Petto, and because the New Paltz coaches really made me feel like they wanted me to swim for them.

My major is elementary education with a concentration in Spanish. My goal is to become a teacher either in New York or New Jersey.

Those girls are two amazing sprinters and to be compared to them is a huge honor.  I think it is a big accomplishment to make Nationals individually and  to be recognized for doing so with two outstanding swimmers is great.

The seasons were as different as the coaches are.  Scott definitely brought a new program to New Paltz and it really worked.  Last season I dropped so much time and so when I dropped more this year I was ecstatic.  The years are comparable only saying that they both helped to make me a stronger swimmer.

The main change I made was in my attitude.  I mean, it also helped  that this season I was not set back by mono or a sprained ankle.  But the attitude with which I approached each practice and meet was much different than last year.  The experience of what I had accomplished last year settled with me and I was able to give my best efforts in all the practices.

I would have to say all my events at SUNYACs were a personal achievement.  I swam three NCAA B cuts and I was top three in all my events.  Also every relay I swam on was second place finisher with all of them getting B cuts as well.  This SUNYACs was just the best meet!

I would have to say my favorite event is the 200 freestyle.  I like it because it is long enough for me to get up and going (I’m not really the “sprinter” type), but it is not so long where I have to keep up consistent splits.

Well I always wear my parka up behind the blocks, but other than that I don’t really do anything special.

Probably Florida so I could visit my family.

Marissa’s Career Bests to Date:

500 Free- 5:05.47

200 Free- 1:53.10

200 Back- 2:08.48

With great pride I am writing to congratulate Marissa and Christine on qualifying for the 2009 NCAA Championships, March 18-21 at University Aquatic Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota.  Marissa and Christine are the 3rd and 4th swimmers this decade to qualify individually for the meet, joining Joanna Masterson (05, 06) and Michelle Coombs (07, 08).  This will be the 5th consecutive year New Paltz has had representation at the meet–which included a 16th place finish in ‘07 and a 17th place finish in ‘08.

Christine Rieth qualified in the 100 Free (:52.01) and will also swim the 50 Free and the 200 Free (qualifying times of :24.04 and 1:55.88 respectively).  She is the only returning All-American, having swam the anchor leg of last years 200 Medley Relay that qualified for Nationals.  Christine was SUNYAC Champion in the 50 Free, runner up in the 100, and finished 6^th in the 200.  She also swam on both medley relays, and the 400 and 800 free relays—all of which made NCAA consideration cuts.

Marissa Morris qualifed in the 200 Free (1:53.10) and will also swim the 500 Free and 200 Back (qualifying times of 5:05.47 and 2:08.48 respectively).  This will be Marissa first trip the NCAA Championships.  At SUNYACs she finished 2^nd in the 500, 2^nd in the 200, and 3^rd in the 200 Back.

We’ll be off to Minneapolis a week from Monday for the meet!  Go Hawks!