USC’s Anika Apostalon named women’s swimming and diving scholar-athlete of the year
SAN FRANCISCO – USC’s Anika Apostalon has been named the Women’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today. The award, which is presented in each of the 23 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline.
Apostalon, a senior sprint freestyler from Albuquerque, N.M., maintains a 3.92 grade point average (GPA) in Psychology and is a 2016 CSCAA Scholar All-American first team selection. A 2016 NCAA Champion in the 400-yard freestyle relay, she was a semifinalist at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 50-meter free. Apostalon is also a six-time All-American, was a member of four USC relay records at the 2016 NCAA Championships and is two-time Pac-12 Championship finalist in her first year as a Trojan in 2016 after transferring from San Diego State.
In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport’s regular season. The athletics accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in voting for the award.
A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-12’s 23 sponsored sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s track & field, women’s track & field, women’s volleyball, and wrestling. The award was first established during the 2008-09 academic year.
Apostalon and the rest of the Pac-12 will all be competing this week at the 2017 Pac-12 Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Federal Way, Wash. The Pac-12 Women’s Swimming and Diving finals along with men’s diving finals will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network, and all six regional networks, Saturday, Feb. 25 at 6:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. MT. Coverage of the prelims and earlier finals will be streamed live on Pac-12.com and the Pac-12 Now app, Wednesday, February 22, Thursday, February 23, Friday, February 24 and will conclude on Saturday, February 25. Fans can purchase tickets ahead of time at Pac-12.com/tickets.
Also nominated: Kat Simonovic, Arizona State; Kristen Vredeveld, California; Andrea Young, Oregon State; Lia Neal, Stanford; Annika Lenz, UCLA; Amanda Casillas, Utah; Hailey Johnson, Washington State