July 10, 2009

Center Valley, Pa.--Nine Patriot League teams and three student-athletes were honored by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) with Scholar All-American awards this week. Team Scholar-American awards are presented to squads with team GPAs of 3.0 or better. Individual Scholar All-Americans must possess a 3.5 GPA or better, while also qualifying for the NCAA Championships.

Six Patriot League schools were among the 109 women's teams honored. Lafayette, which compiled a team GPA of 3.48, had the eighth-best team GPA among NCAA Division I women's teams. Other Patriot League women's squads honored were American (3.44), Bucknell (3.44), Lehigh (3.29), Colgate (3.17) and Navy (3.09).

The top two team GPAs in NCAA Division I men's swimming came from the Patriot League. American sported a nation-best 3.54 team GPA, while Lafayette claimed a 3.45 team mark. Also honored was Bucknell with a 3.11 GPA.

Receiving individual honors was Navy's Tara Chapmon, who was named a First-Team Women's Swimming Division I Scholar All-American. Navy's James Lascara and Mark Meyer were named Men's Swimming Division I Honorable Mention Scholar All-Americans.

Chapmon, a rising senior, qualified for the NCAA Championship in the 200, 500 and 1,650 freestyle events and posted a 3.80 GPA during the spring semester. The 2008 and `09 Patriot League Women's Swimmer of the Year is the first Navy swimmer to earn Scholar-All-America honors.

Lascara, who is entering his senior year at Navy, posted a 3.86 GPA during the spring semester and achieved a `B' cut qualifying time in the 500 freestyle event. Meyer, a rising sophomore, recorded a 3.50 GPA during the spring term and attained a `B' cut time in the 200 butterfly event.