From Emory University Athletics
Emory University seniors Nancy Larson, McKenna Newsum-Schoenberg, Michelle York and Nina Zook of the Swimming and Diving Team were each awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, bestowed upon student-athletes who excel academically and athletically, while also serving as leaders in the community.
The four will each receive a one-time $7,500 scholarship, to be used for postgraduate study within three years. Emory has now been awarded 96 postgraduate scholarships over the school's history, and its 79 since 2000 are more than any other NCAA institution during that time period (Stanford entered the winter season with 78 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships since 2000, and has not reported its winter winners yet).
Larson (Winston-Salem, North Carolina / Mt. Tabor) won NCAA Division III Championships as a part of four relays during her career, including a first-place finish as a part of the 400-yard medley relay in 2015. In addition, her career 20 All-America honors are tied for the second-most all-time by an Emory women's swimmer. She accumulated six all-America certificates at the 2015 NCAA Championships, including a fifth-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle and an eighth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle. Larson, an Academic All-UAA honoree and CSCAA Scholar All-American, has a 3.586 cumulative grade point average as an Anthropology and Human Biology major at Emory, with a minor in Global Health, Culture and Society.
Newsum-Schoenberg (Centennial, Colorado / Cherry Creek) capped off her collegiate career by winning the National Championship in the 200-yard butterfly at the 2015 NCAA Division III Championships, setting a school record with a time of 2:00.43 in the event. She added an all-America honor with a seventh-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle and an honorable mention with a ninth-place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle, finishing her Emory career with eight all-America honors and four all-America Honorable Mentions. Earlier in the year, she was named the UAA Swimmer of the Year after setting conference records in both the 500-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly, while claiming UAA Championships in the 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyle events. Academically, Newsum-Schoenberg is a three-time CSCAA Scholar All-American, and will graduate from Emory with a 3.635 cumulative grade point average as a Political Science and Sociology dual major.
York (Chapel Hill, North Carolina / East Chapel Hill) is a three-time all-American in the 400-yard individual medley, placing third in the event at the NCAA Division III Championships in 2013, eighth in 2014 and seventh in 2015. She added on three all-America honorable mentions during her career as well, while winning the 2013 UAA Championship in the 400-yard individual medley and claiming two other all-UAA finishes during her time as an Eagle. York has excelled in the classroom as well, recording a cumulative grade point average of 3.78 with a major in biology, and has been a three-time CSCAA Scholar All-American.
Zook (Issaquah, Washington / Skyline) was also a part of the Eagles' National Championship 400-yard medley relay team in 2015, marking the first Division III Title of her career. She added all-America honors with a second-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly and a fourth-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley, capping off her career with five all-America honors and four all-America honorable mentions. Zook also claimed three all-UAA finishes during her career, including the 2013 conference championship in the 200-yard butterfly. She currently has a 3.77 grade point average as a Biology major, and is a three-time CSCAA Scholar All-America honoree.
The Emory's Swimming and Diving team has now seen 46 of its members win the scholarship, including 29 winners over the last eight years. Since 2000, the Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving programs have garnered 42 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.
The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The Association awards up to 174 postgraduate scholarships annually, 87 for men and 87 for women.
This season's NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients (29 men and 29 women) represent winter-sports participants from all NCAA divisions (I, II & III), who will receive one-time, nonrenewable grants of $7,500. Winter sports sponsored by the NCAA include men's and women's basketball, men's and women's fencing, men's and women's gymnastics, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's rifle, men's and women's skiing, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's wrestling and women's bowling.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports.