Brittany Viola Named ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year
April 28, 2011
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Miami senior Brittany Viola has been recognized as the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, announced today by Commissioner John Swofford. Viola highlights the 2011 All-ACC Academic Women’s Swimming & Diving team, which includes 17 All-ACC performers.
Joining Viola on this year’s All-ACC Academic Swimming & Diving team were Hurricanes swimmers Sofia Johansson and Annika Saarnak, as well as fellow divers Lindsay Lester and Thea Vock.
To be eligible for All-ACC Academic Team consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his/her academic career.
A four-time All-ACC Academic selection, Viola won her second platform diving title at the 2011 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship in Austin, Texas. She accumulated a score of 354.25 to take top honors in the event. Viola also brought home a national championship in the event in 2008. She became just the second women’s diver at Miami to claim a national title. Additionally, the Orlando, Fla., native earned All-America honorable mention at the 2011 national meet, placing 10th in the one-meter dive. The 2011 USA Diving Winter National Champion on the 10-meter platform, Viola is a two-time All-ACC honoree. She holds both the conference and ACC Championships record in platform diving.
Lindsay Lester and Thea Vock each joined their fellow Canes diver Viola on the All-Academic Team. Freshman Lindsay Lester finished fourth on the 1-meter springboard at the ACC Championships, en route to a fifth place finish on the 3-meter board. Classmate Thea Vock collected an eighth place finish on the 1-meter board at the conference championships; later finishing 11th in the platform event.
Representing UMiami under swimming head coach Christie Shefchunas at the recent NCAA Championships, senior Annika Saarnak competed in the 50- and 100 freestyle, as well as the 100 butterfly. She was the first Hurricanes swimmer to compete in the NCAA’s in almost 10 years, since Summer Olympics Gold medalist [2008 Summer Games] – Manon van Rooijen. Saarnak completed her career and season as a member of the 2010-11 All-ACC Team.
Also a member of the 2010-11 All-ACC Team is sophomore Sofia Johansson, making her first appearance to the All-ACC Academic Team. Johansson took home the first individual swimming title for UMiami since joining the league in 2004-05, claiming the victory in the 100 breaststroke. She would end the ACC Championships with two NCAA provisional qualifying times overall – adding to her ACC title in the 100 with a NCAA “B” cut time in the 200 breaststroke.
All-ACC Academic team members that also claimed All-ACC honors at the conference championship include Abby Johnston and Ashley Twichell of Duke, Elysse Rowland and Stephanie Sarandos of Florida State, Annie Fittin and Ginny Glover of Maryland, Sofia Johansson and Annika Saarnak of Miami, Layne Brodie and Rebecca Kane of North Carolina, and Katya Bachrouche, Hannah Davis, Kelly Flynn, Emily Lloyd, Kristen Moores, Lauren Perdue and Liz Shaw of Virginia.
For a complete list of this year’s All-ACC Academic Team members, please visit TheACC.com.
For more information on the University of Miami swimming & diving team, please log on to HurricaneSports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Hurricanes swimming & diving program.
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