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NCAA News Release
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NCAA Announces Division III Most Outstanding Swimmer And Diver In Honor Of 25th Anniversary Of Women's Championships
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For Immediate Release
Wednesday, March 1, 2006
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Contact(s)
Gail Dent
Associate Director of Public andMedia Relations
317/917-6117
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INDIANAPOLIS --- The NCAA has announced that Carla Ainsworth, a former swimming student-athlete at Kenyon College, and Elizabeth Olsen, a former diving student-athlete at Colorado College, have been named the Division III Most Outstanding Swimmer and Diver over the past 25 years in NCAA championship competition, respectively. The honor was bestowed in conjunction with the NCAA's celebration surrounding the 25th Anniversary of Women's Championships.
Ainsworth won 26 national championships swimming titles while competing at Kenyon College from 1992-1995. She earned 11 individual titles and 15 relay titles during her tenure. Ainsworth won the 50-yard freestyle (1993, 1994, 1995); 100-yard freestyle (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995); 200-yard freestyle (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995); 200-yard medley relay (1995); 400-yard medley relay (1992, 1993); 200-yard freestyle relay (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995); 400-yard freestyle relay (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995); and the 800-yard freestyle relay (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995).
Ainsworth graduated from Kenyon as a 28-time All-American, established seven NCAA records and led Kenyon to four NCAA team titles. She was the first woman to win the 200-yard freestyle four consecutive seasons and graduated as the owner of eight Kenyon College swimming records. She was named NCAA Swimmer of the Year three times (1992, 1994, 1995) and was the 1994 CoSIDA/GTE Academic All-American of the Year. She was further honored as the Division III Honda Broderick Athlete of the Year in 1994 and the College Sports Magazine Division III Athlete of the Year in 1995.
Olsen won the national championship diving titles in the one-meter and three-meter five times during her career at Colorado College, claiming the one-meter diving title three times (1986, 1987, 1990) and the three-meter diving title twice (1986, 1987). She also placed second on the three-meter board in 1990 and finished her career as a six-time All-American.
Olsen was a comparative literature major at Colorado College and spent the 1988 season studying abroad in Yugoslavia. She was inducted into the Colorado College Athletic Hall of Fame the first year she was nominated for the award.
In 1981, the NCAA began sponsoring women's championships, which opened the door to increased athletic and academic opportunities for female athletes. Today, the NCAA sponsors 44 women's championships in 20 sports, providing more than 150,000 women with an opportunity to compete for national titles each year.
An NCAA expert panel selected the Most Outstanding Student-Athletes in the sport of swimming and diving. The panel, which consisted of current and former coaches; athletics administrators; sports information directors and coaches association members, used historical data and championship results to make their decision.
The NCAA 2006 Women's Division III Swimming and Diving Championships will be held March 9-11 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the University of Minneapolis Aquatic Center.
The following NCAA women's sports are celebrating their 25th anniversary during the 2005-06 athletic season: Division I and III women's field hockey; Division I, II and III women's cross country; Division I, II and III women's volleyball; Division I, II and III women's swimming; Division I, II and III women's basketball; National Collegiate women's gymnastics; Division I, II and III women's tennis; Division I women's golf; Division I women's lacrosse; Division I women's rowing; Division I and II softball; and Division I, II and III women's outdoor track.
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