From Emory University Athletics

Emory University seniors Cooper Tollen (Dresher, PA) and Oliver Smith (Milan, MI), two standouts from the men's swimming and diving team, have been named winter recipients of the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, bestowed upon student-athletes who excel academically and athletically, while also serving as leaders in the community.

The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, a $7,500 scholarship to be applied toward the graduate degree program of Tollen's and Smith's choice, is awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically, and are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. 

Emory has been awarded 113 postgraduate scholarships over the school's history, and its 96 since 2000 is second only to Stanford University for the highest total by any NCAA member. 

A four-year member of the program, Tollen was a three-time national champion as a member of the Eagles' medley relay teams, including the 2018 200 & 400 medley relays, and seven-time All-American. He helped the men's squad to its first-ever national crown in 2017 and a runner-up effort this past season. A six-time All-University Athletic Association performer, he captured three individual league championships. He is a three-time member of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America Scholar All-America Team and garnered three berths on the UAA All-Academic Team. Tollen was nominated for the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship with a 3.64 grade-point average as a political science major.

Smith capped off an outstanding four-year run with his selection as the 2018 NCAA Division III Swimmer of the Year, after recording two individual titles in the 50 and 100 Freestyles and assisting on four championship winning relays (200 Free, 400 Free, 200 Medley and 400 Medley). In the prelims of both the 50 and 100 Freestyle, Smith set the NCAA Division III record with times of 19.37 and 42.98 and with his time in the 100, he became the first male in Division III history to post a time under 43 seconds.  His first-place effort in the 50 free represented the third straight year he won that event. All totaled during his career, he won 14 national championships and was the recipient of 18 All-America certificates. He was a key member of the 2017 team that won the school's first-ever national title and the unit that finished as runners-up this past year. He won 10 UAA crowns and was a 13-time all-conference performer. A two-time CSCAA Scholar All-American, was named an Emory Class of 2018 100 Senior Honorary.  Smith was nominated for the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship with a 3.31 grade-point average as a biology major.

A total of 174 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships are awarded annually, 87 for men and 87 for women.  Fifty-eight (29 men, 29 women) scholarships are announced after each fall, winter and sports season and stretch across NCAA Division I, II and III institutions.