There must be something in the water. If anyone has an idea of what it is, it's Matt Wisniewski. With a grade point average of 3.81, Wisiniewski was honored alongside four other student-athletes as Academic All-America Honorable Mention swimmers for the '05-'06 season.
"A lot of athletes aren't able to keep their grades up and manage everything," Wisniewski said. "It takes hard work; I go to practice and I study after, so I don't have a lot of free time."
The swimmers in both the men's and women's teams comprise a Spartans swimming and diving team that ranks among the top 20 Division I programs in the nation. The distinguished team accolade was recently given by the College Swim Coaches of America.
Wisniewski recently graduated from MSU with a degree in accounting. He said being a student-athlete is something he will carry as a positive reinforcement throughout his career.
"Just being able to work under pressure, having strict time schedules and having to budget my time is something I can take with me," Wisniewski said.
"When you're competing at a high level, just being able to know that I can compete, or perform under stress and pressure, is very good. I can tell a recruiter something that I believe will differentiate me from other people."
The women's team ranked 19th in the nation with an average GPA of 3.43, and the men's team finished 15th, earning an average GPA of 3.18. Joining Wisniewski for individual mention were freshman Alycia Mokedanz (3.80 GPA), juniors Matt Akerly (3.53 GPA), Katie Edwards (3.68 GPA) and Amy Schmidt (3.75 GPA).
"I wasn't really expecting it, but it's an honor and speaks highly of Spartan athletics," said Spartans swimmer Edwards. "I plan ahead, I schedule everything and during the season it's easier for me to get things done because everything is planned out."
To become an Academic All-American, athletes must earn a minimum GPA of 3.5 and qualify for the NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA championships, while students who earn NCAA "B" times with a 3.5 GPA are eligible for Academic All-America Honorable Mention.
"It takes a special person to be able to do both," said associate swimming and diving head coach Kathleen Milloy about the duality of high performers in both athletics and academics. "To be able to want something and work your way up to get it is incredible. It really makes it amazing to coach here."
Overall, a total of 252 institutions encompassing 416 programs from all three NCAA divisions were represented.
"It's a great team effort that they accomplished," said swimming and diving head coach Matt Gianiodis. "The kids really put a lot of work in there. It was a goal that they had, and I'm really proud that they did it."
