SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Seventeen Bruins earned 2016 Pac-12 Conference Women’s Swimming and Diving All-Academic honors, the conference announced Tuesday.  To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and appear in at least 50 percent of their team’s competitions. 

Emily Hammond, Annika Lenz, and Arlyn Upshaw were named to the First Team, while Marie-Pierre Delisle, Katie Grover, and Katie Kinnear each earned Second Team nods.  Receiving honorable mention accolades were Natalie Amberg, Madison Applegate, Maddy Burnham, Nina Hayes, Linnea Mack, Rachel Owen, Maria Polyakova, Carly Reid, Savannah Steffen, Hayden Walker, and Madison White.   

Upshaw, Kinnear, and Applegate end their careers with three All-Academic accolades.  A communications studies major, Upshaw twice-earned Second Team honors prior to making First Team this year.  Majoring in psychobiology, Kinnear was honorable mention as a sophomore and junior.  Applegate, who majored in political science, received three straight honorable mention nods.  Owen, graduating a year early with a degree in psychology, earned honorable mention honors last year as well. 

The UCLA swimming and diving teams also held their annual banquet recently and announced the 2015-2016 team awards.  Mack was named Most Valuable Swimmer and Polyakova earned Most Valuable Diver honors. 

Mack also earned the High Point award, given to the athlete who earned the most points at Pac-12 dual meets, the Pac-12 Championships, and the NCAA Championships. 

Freshman diver Eloise Belanger received two honors—Outstanding Newcomer and Competitive Greatness.  The former is awarded to a newcomer who has the greatest impact on the progress or improvement of the program, while the latter is awarded to someone who is at their best when their best is needed and who enjoys a difficult challenge.   

The Iron Effort accolades went to Kinnear and Montana Monahan.  These awards go to the top performers in the weight room.  Kinnear also earned the Bruin Pride award, which is bestowed upon the athlete who most selflessly displays the highest levels of character and integrity in the spirit of helping the team.  The Bruin Pride recipient is chosen by the team. 

Rounding out the team awards, Upshaw received the Most Improved award and Lenz earned the Academic Excellence honor for holding the highest cumulative GPA on the team.