Six men and women's team earn Scholar All-America award

PROVO, Utah – Six BYU swimmers and divers and the women’s team as a whole earned 2014 Scholar All-American honors from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).

Hayden Palmer garnered First Team Scholar All-America honors. The junior from Moreno Valley, Calif., was a standout in the classroom and in the pool breaking a BYU all-time record in the 400 IM (3:45.38) in the Texas Invitational and being named to the All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) First Team for his performances in the 200 IM (1:48.55), 400 IM (3:50.18) and 200 breast (2:00.88).

In order to be recognized on the first team, Palmer needed to have achieved a cumulative, or term grade point average of 3.5 or higher and have qualified for and competed at the NCAA Championship.

Jordan Fletcher, Matt Hopper, Rainer Ng, Stephen Richards and Chad Sorensen received Honorable Mention Scholar All-America. To earn the award the swimmers and divers needed to achieve a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for the semester, and have achieved a "B" time standard but did not qualify or compete in their respective national championship. Divers qualify by competing at their respective championship qualifying meets, zones or NCAA preliminary rounds.

Fletcher, a senior from Sandy, earned All-MPSF First Team for his performances in the 50 free (20.17) and 200 free relay (1:19.91). He also earned All-MPSF Second Team performances in the 200 medley relay (1:29.38), 100 fly (49.06) and 100 back (49.18).

Hopper, a junior from Phoenix, was the only Cougar diver named to the list and was named to the All-MPSF Second Team for performances in 3-meter (291.80) and platform (218.15).

Ng, from Singapore, was the only Cougar freshman named to the list and also earned All-MPSF First Team for performances in the 800 free relay (6:31.41), 100 back (48.33), 200 back (1:46.17) and 200 fly (1:48.80). As well as earning All-MPSF Second Team for performances in the 200 medley relay (1:29.38).

Richards, a sophomore from McLean, Va., was named the MPSF/TURBO Male Athlete of the Week (Jan.23) and to the All-MPSF Second Team in the 400 IM (3:53.26)

Sorensen, a sophomore from The Woodlands, Texas, earned All-MPSF First Team for performances in the 100 breast (54.88) and 200 breast (1:59.22) and was named to the All-MPSF Second Team for performances in the 200 medley relay (1:29.38) and 400 medley relay (3:14.66).

The women’s team earned a 3.22 GPA, qualifying it as a whole to take home the CSCAA Scholar All-America Team award. The Team Scholar All American Award is presented to college and university swimming and diving teams, who have achieved a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher.