CSC Academic All-District® release
The College of Wooster's Maddie Becker, Ollie Bream, Hallie Findlan, and Kay Wetmore were among the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® honorees, as announced by the organization Tuesday afternoon.
Becker has been part of four top-four Wooster relays at the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships, which is widely regarded as NCAA Div. III's preeminent conference meet. Three of those came this season, with Becker helping the Fighting Scots to fourth-place times in the 200 freestyle (1:37.62), 400 medley (4:00.16), and 400 freestyle relays (3:32.62). Individually, Becker's four NCAC championship final showings are headlined by taking fourth in the 100th individual medley (59.94) at the 2022 conference meet. This season, Becker placed seventh in the 100 (1:06.27) and 200 breaststrokes (2:24.90). Becker is the program's record-holder in the 100 individual medley (59.93), and she holds the second-fastest 100 breaststroke time (1:05.60) in program history.
The biology major is a microbiology research assistant, observing the effects of microbiome diversity on candida albicans infections in Caenorhabditis elegans. The junior qualified for the NCAC Academic Honor Roll as a sophomore, is a lifeguard for the campus natatorium, is a member of the team's leadership council, and is a resident assistant on campus.
Bream, a 2022 NCAA Div. III Championships qualifier by virtue of her NCAA Div. III "B" cut time of 2:03.74 in the 200 butterfly at the NCAC Championships, debuted at conference last year with four All-NCAC honors, the most by a Wooster first-year since Meggie Edwards in 2006. Bream's first NCAC swim netted all-conference honors, with Wooster placing third in the 800 freestyle relay (7:51.68). As a first-year, Bream swam the butterfly legs of Wooster's all-conference 200 (1:47.03) and 400 medley relays (3:54.70), and earned individual all-conference laurels in the 200 butterfly. This season, Bream was part of all three of Wooster's fourth-place relays at conference and qualified for the championship final of the 200 butterfly and 400 individual medley, giving her five-career championship final starts. The two-time NCAC Athlete of the Week has top-10 program times in six different events.
The sophomore has a shadowing internship lined up for this summer with the Center for Pediatric Therapy and TIRR Memorial Hermann Outpatient Rehabilitation, where she will focus on observing speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists. On campus, Bream is a teaching assistant for an international relations course, is a resident assistant, and is a lifeguard. Off campus, Bream is a swim instructor back home during academic breaks.
Findlan earned two All-NCAC honors as a first-year by helping Wooster to third-place 200 and 400 medley relay finishes at the NCAC Championships. The sophomore was part of all three of Wooster's fourth-place relays at conference this year and won the consolation final of the 50 (24.19) and 100 freestyles (53.17). The two-time NCAC Athlete of the Week is a one-time qualifier for a NCAC championship final, making that start in the 50 freestyle as a first-year.
The communication sciences and disorders major is a member of the campus chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, which helps provide preprofessional opportunities to students in the major and educates the Wooster community about communication impairments. Elsewhere, Findlan is a youth swim club coach in the summer.
Wetmore qualified for five championship finals at NCACs during her career, with a sixth-place showing in the 1,650 freestyle (18:11.38) as a junior leading the way. Wetmore qualified for the championship final of the 200 butterfly at every conference meet and had three top-11 showings at this year's conference championships. The two-time member of the NCAC Academic Honor Roll holds a top-10 program time in the 1,000 freestyle at 10:48.54.
The communication studies and political science major's Independent Study analyzes messaging from Tim Ryan and John Fetterman's campaign, and specifically explores how Democrats are trying to win back the white working-class. Wetmore turned to content analysis to explore the appeals utilized in their campaign videos and hypothesized that both candidates would utilize populist rhetoric through their campaigns, position their respective opponents as a member of the elite, and utilize symbolic group appeals over policy-oriented ones. Wetmore has internship experience at Lehigh County Courthouse near her hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The senior was previously a political affairs intern for The Borgen Project, which worked with Congress on global poverty-focused legislation. Wetmore is a teaching assistant within the political science department on campus, a member of the team's leadership council, is president of the College's student Communication Club, and has experience as a lifeguard.
Wooster's quartet are on the Academic All-America® ballot, which is voted on by CSC members in advance of the announcement of the Academic All-America® Team on March 20. Starting with the 2022-23 academic year, all eligible nominees submitted by member schools earn Academic All-District® status. Nominees were voted to the Academic All-District® Team in previous years and those winners advanced to the Academic All-America® ballot. This is also the first year swimming and diving is its own Academic All-America® contest. Previously swimming and diving was part of the at-large contest.