CSC Academic All-District® Release
Maddie Becker, Ollie Bream, Emma Connors, and Hallie Findlan from The College of Wooster women's swimming and diving team were among the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® honorees as announced by the organization on Tuesday.
Becker capped a standout career as an All-North Coast Athletic Conference performer, thanks to swimming on Wooster's third-place 400 medley relay, which also set a program record with a time of 3:53.55. Individually, Becker lowered her school record in the 100 individual medley to 58.88, which was the sixth-place time at conference. As a senior, Becker scored as part of three fourth-place conference relays, with those coming from the 200 medley (1:46.60), 200 freestyle (1:37.32), and 400 freestyle relays (3:33.22). Becker's 1:07.08 in the 100 breaststroke ranked seventh in the NCAC, while her 2:09.22 in the 200 individual medley was 11th. Becker capped her dual meet career by lowering her Timken Natatorium record in the 100 individual medley to 1:01.32 and finished with an undefeated dual meet record. She was a two-time NCAC Athlete of the Week as a senior.
The two-time CSC Academic All-District® qualifier investigated how the gut microbiome affects human metabolism and fat storage. Becker used the model organism C.elegans to distinguish changes and be able to apply them to human diseases. On campus, the biology major serves as a teaching assistant and a resident assistant. She works as a lifeguard for the campus pool and leads recruiting tours for prospective students.
Bream, a national qualifier placed 21st in the 200 butterfly for her highest national finish in six NCAA Div. III Championships swims. Bream logged a team of 2:04.83 at nationals. Her time of 57.19 was good for a 46th-place finish in the 100 butterfly at the Div. III Championships and the time marked a collegiate best. Elsewhere at the championships, Bream's 2:07.06 ranked 33rd in the 200 individual medley. Bream upped her All-NCAC count to six as part of Wooster's third-place 400 medley relay and 800 freestyle relay (7:45.70) at the conference championship. The 400 medley relay marked a new school record, as did Bream's 4:29.68 in the 400 individual medley at NCAA Div. III's preeminent conference meet. At conference, Bream swam on Wooster's fourth-place 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays and had a NCAA Div. III "B" cut in the 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley. Bream's time of 2:05.22 ranked fourth in the 200 butterfly and she won the consolation final of the 200 individual medley at 2:05.44. She swam a 2:03.46 in the 200 butterfly at the Kenyon College Fast Chance meet to qualify for the Div. III Championships. The junior scored NCAC Athlete of the Week honors for the third time after breaking the 100 butterfly Timken Natatorium record (59.15) in a dual meet against Westminster College.
Bream serves as the treasurer for Wooster's chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA). The communication sciences and disorders major and two-time CSC Academic All-District® honoree helps with recruitment, academic advising, coordinating events, and communicating with the alumni network of the student organization. Last summer, Bream was an intern at the Center for Pediatric Therapy and TIRR Memorial Hermann Outpatient Rehabilitation in Texas. There, Bream observed speech language pathologists and occupational therapists. The junior serves as an instructor with KCDubs Swim in Texas during summer and academic breaks, while on campus, Bream is a teaching assistant and lifeguard, and was on the student-athlete session during the College's search for a new director of athletics and physical education in the fall.
Connors earned all-conference honors for the second time as part of Wooster's All-NCAC 800 freestyle relay. The senior was part of Wooster's fourth-place 400 freestyle relay and earned a championship final showing in the 1,650 freestyle, where she had the eighth-place time of 18:01.14. Elsewhere, Connors was 11th in the 200 (1:57.52) and 500 freestyles (5:09.55) at conference, with the 500 freestyle time ranking as the ninth-best in program history.
Connors' Independent Study was an extension of psychology research on attachment styles formed in early childhood. Connors conducted a study of Wooster students to compare how people in no relationship, a local, on-campus relationship, or a long-distance relationship score on a measure of attachment and how that relates to their perceived stress. Connors was a summer camp counselor for the YMCA last summer and spent time as a paraprofessional at North Allegheny Senior High School. There, Connors worked with students with special needs and created lesson plans for the extended school year program. Connors has also worked as a private swimming instructor while in college.
Findlan, an all-conference and record-setting swimmer on Wooster's 400 medley relay, was also part of the fourth-place 200 medley, 200 freestyle, and 400 freestyle relays at conference. Individually, the junior just missed on all-conference honors with a fourth-place showing in the 100 freestyle (51.74) and she earned a spot in the championship final of the 50 freestyle, placing eighth at 23.68. Findlan's conference swims were rounded out by a 13th-place time of 1:00.90 in the 100 backstroke. The three-time all-conference performer posted top-two program times in the 50 freestyle (23.68) and 100 freestyle (51.74) this season.
The two-time CSC Academic All-District® qualifier is a communication sciences and disorders major. She serves as secretary of the College's NSSLHA and helps provide preprofessional opportunities to students in the major and helps educate the local community about communication impairments. Last summer, Findlan worked at Black and Gold Optical assisting with inventory and display management and patient distribution. She served as a youth swim coach at South Hills Aquatics the past two summers.
Each school with a CSC membership may submit up to four Academic All-District® honorees for women's swimming and diving. Each nominee must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA, be at least a sophomore in academic standing, and either compete in four meets or finish in the top eight at a conference championship. The CSC Academic All-America® Team for women's swimming and diving is set to be announced on Tuesday, April 23.