Emory Swimmer Anne Culpepper Named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team

Emory University junior swimmer Anne Culpepper was named to the prestigious Capital One Academic all-America At Large First Team, one of the highest academic honors a college athlete can receive, based on her athletic and academic success during the 2010-11 year.

Culpepper is the 49^th first team honoree in school history, and the sixth first team honoree in the history of the women’s swimming and diving program.

Culpepper claimed her second-straight National Title in the 200-yard backstroke, and was part of the Eagles’ winning 400-yard freestyle relay at the 2011 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships.  The junior also claimed all-America honors in the 200-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay, giving her 11 for her career.  She is the current school record holder in the 200-yard backstroke, and the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays.

Academically, Culpepper has a 3.83 grade point average as an English and Economics major.  She is a two-time UAA academic honoree and CSCAA Scholar All-American, in addition to earning Capital One Academic all-District First Team honors earlier this year.

Culpepper, along with women’s tennis player Zahra Dawson who was named to the at large second team on Thursday, becomes the 125^th Emory student-athlete to receive Academic All-America honors as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  She is the 14^th member of the women’s swimming and diving team to receive the honor. 

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a key member of the team, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by her sports information director.  Nominees for the Academic All-America team are selected from the pool of Academic All-District First Team selectees.

Women's sports that are grouped into the At Large category include bowling, crew, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis and water polo.  Emory nominees are part of the ‘College Division’ which includes NCAA Division II and III institutions, along with NAIA schools.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 15,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.