Swimming Teams Put 11 on Academic All-MAC Teams

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Eastern Michigan University men's and women's swimming teams had a total of 11 athletes earn Academic All-Mid-American Conference honors. The women's team had four members on the first team, while the men's team boasted a league-best seven members on the first team.

The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.

The 2009 MAC Champion men's team put seven members on the first team, with seniors Don Ellison (King City, Ont.-King City Secondary) and Mark Kurtzer (Newmarket, Ont.-Dr. Denison) leading the way with their third selection apiece. Ellison, a physics major with a 3.97 GPA, and Kurtzer, an accounting major with a 3.92 GPA, have been named to the squad for the past three seasons. Joining them on the first team are two-time selections Chris Alberty (Novi, Mich.-Novi), 3.66 GPA as a supply chain management major; Ethan Crabtree (Wooster, Ohio-Wooster), 3.38 GPA in exercise science; Ryan Fulkerson (South Lyon, Mich.-South Lyon), a physical education major with a 3.63 GPA and Matt Guinan (Victor, N.Y.-Victor Central), an exercise science major with a 3.55 GPA. Junior Scott Murphy (Houston, Texas-Cypress), an accounting major with a 3.46 GPA, received the honor for the first time in his career.

On the women's side, four Eagles were selected to the Academic All-MAC squad, led by a trio of two-time selections. Seniors Hannah Burandt (Parma, Ohio-Parma), Ashley Durand (Lincoln, Neb.-Southeast) and Alissa Ricard (Tucson, Ariz.-Catalina Foothills) were selected for the second consecutive season, while junior Steph Cholyk (Aurora, Ont.-Aurora) was a first-time selection. Burandt has a 3.89 GPA as a math and secondary education major, Cholyk carries a 3.64 GPA as a biology major, Durand has a 3.51 GPA while majoring in biology and Ricard is an exercise science major with a 3.51 GPA.

Ricard is in action this weekend, March 19-21, at the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas at Texas A&M University. She is competing in the 200 freestyle at the Championships for the Eagles.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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