SU Swim Squads Honored For Academic Performance
7/26/2004 4:26:00 PM | Swimming / Diving
SYRACUSE, NY -- The Syracuse University men's and women's swimming and diving squads were each recognized by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America for their academic performances in the 2003-04 season. The SU women produced a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.26 (on a 4.0 scale) and the men had a 3.17 mark. Senior Elyse McDonough and freshman Lukasz Boral earned individual recognition.
The g.p.a. put forth by the women's team ranked in a 34th-place tie among Division I programs. The men's squad g.p.a. tied for ninth.
Coach Lou Walker's clubs had two participants earn CSCAA All-Academic laurels. Honorees had to participate in the NCAA Championship Meet and own a minimum g.p.a. of 3.5.
McDonough, a team captain who majored in television-radio-film and speec communications, had a 3.7 g.p.a. She earned BIG EAST Conference Academic All-Star recognition (3.0 cumulative g.p.a. for the year) each of her four years at Syracuse. McDonough also earned a spot on the SU Athletic Director's Honor Roll (3.0 semester g.p.a.) following each of her eight semesters. She earned 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-District I recognition as well.
She qualified for the 2004 NCAA Swimming Championship in the 200 butterfly and the 200 individual medley, becoming the first Orangewoman to qualify since 1981. McDonough won her first BIG EAST Conference championship in the 200 butterfly in 2004 with a school record time of 1:59.61. She was one of 13 BIG EAST Conference female student-athletes to receive a 2003-04 BIG EAST/Aeropostale Scholar-Athlete Award (a $2,000 stipend to be applied to graduate studies).
President of SU’s Student-Athlete Council, McDonough set nine school records and two pool records during her four-year career. She has qualified for the USA Nationals for the past five years (2000-04). During her SU career she has served as a volunteer for more than a dozen community service projects, including the Shooting for A’s and Success by Six programs. In March, she accepted a position with NBC to work the swimming venue at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
Boral was a CSCAA All-Academic pick also. He produced a 3.61 g.p.a. in his first year as an information management and technology major. He was a recipient of BIG EAST Conference Academic All-Star honors and placed on the SU Athletic Director's Honor Roll following the 2003 Fall and 2004 Spring semesters.
He had a strong showing in his first appearance at the NCAA Championship, placing 19th in the men's 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:12.96. He won the gold medal in the 200-yard breaststroke at the 2004 BIG EAST Conference Championship and then bettered his school record with a 1:58.57 clocking at the Tar Heel Open.
