UMBC

Scott Auchter

Adam Blais

Tim Conway

Geza Szabo

Boston-Four Retriever men’s swimmers were selected to the America East winter all-academic team, the conference announced Wednesday, most among all winter sports at UMBC. Eleven UMBC fall athletes overall were named to their respective squads.

Seniors Adam Blais (Westbrook, Maine/Westbrook) and Geza Szabo (Szolnok, Hungary/Ady Endre Gimnazium), junior Tim Conway (Brick, N.J./Brick Township Memorial) and sophomore Scott Auchter (Wernersville, Pa./Wilson) represent the Retriever men’s swimming and diving team, making up four-fifths of the all-academic squad.

Blais was on the winning 800-free relay team and the second-place 200- and 400-free relays at the America East Championships in February, while Szabo took silver in both the 100- and 200-fly and 400-medley relay and bronze in the 200-medley relay. Conway placed second in the 50-free and was on the second-place 200- and 400-free relay teams and third-place 200-medley relay, while Auchter took third in the 100-breast and 200-medley relay and second in the 400-medley relay.

Also representing UMBC on the all-academic squads are seniors Adam Grossman and Aaron Smith and sophomore Aaron James from men’s indoor track and field; senior Jerrell Dinkins and sophomore Brian Hodges from men’s basketball; and juniors Jenelle Wilson Francine Ward from women’s indoor track and field.

With its 11 winter all-academic team members, UMBC tied with Boston University for most in the conference. Binghamton University (seven), University of New Hampshire (seven) and University of Maine (six) followed closely behind. University at Albany (five), Stony Brook University (four) and University of Vermont (two) also boasted all-academic members as well.

This marks the first time the America East has named All-Academic teams for each of its winter sports. The All-Academic squads are a product of the June 2005 Athletics Director meetings. Faculty representatives and athletics directors from each of the conference’s nine member institutions decided to honor some of the league’s top athletes that are also quality students.

Each All-Academic Team has been selected based on the student-athlete’s academic and athletic accomplishments. Academic achievement for consideration requires student-athletes to have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 entering the season. Athletic accomplishment standards vary between team sports and individual sports. For team sports, student-athletes are required to be a nomination on the post-season awards ballot, which is determined by the league’s head coaches. For track and field and swimming and diving, student-athletes are required to be a top-three finisher at the conference championship meet. Team size for team sports is based on the number of athletes that participate in a contest at one time (e.g., five on the court for basketball). In the event that the number of student-athletes meeting the requirements is greater than the number that participate in a contest at one time, all-conference vote totals were used as the tie-breaking criteria. Team size for individual sports is determined by the number of all-conference honorees who possess the minimum academic requirement.

2006 America East All-Academic Men’s Swimming and Diving Team
Scott Auchter, UMBC
Adam Blais, UMBC
Tim Conway, UMBC
Brian Koizim, Binghamton
Geza Szabo, UMBC