Ethel Walker School
Walker’s 13 Upper School varsity swimmers have been honored as a National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association (NISCA) Silver Level Scholar team with Daphne Peterson ’21 named as an Academic All-American. The NISCA/SwimOutlet.com Scholar Team Award recognizes teams achieving high academic standards. The award is based on the average cumulative GPA of a varsity team of 12 or more athletes. The 2020-2021 team finished with a GPA of 3.589, easily qualifying them within the 3.5.00-3.749 range. Peterson, honored as a senior with a GPA of 3.75 or higher, is the third Walker’s swimmer to receive the Academic All-American status, following teammates Jane Li and Emmy Vitali in 2020. Peterson is one of only 12 swimmers from Connecticut recognized with this distinction.
This is the second time that Walker’s has been named a Scholar team, and the first time with Silver recognition since the program’s inception. Despite the very different year, including mask-wearing and social distancing, the team was still able to compete against other teams simply by comparing digital times. The team finished the season with an official virtual meet in which school records were set in both individual and relay events.
“It’s always intentional to prioritize that athletes excel both in the classroom and in the pool,” says Athletic Director and Head Varsity Swim Coach Kati Eggert. “During perhaps the most isolating year ever, the team stuck together and kept their goals in the spotlight. They set goals and went after them. We – myself, and assistant coaches Mrs. Harris, and Dr. Sheldon – knew it was going to be a challenge to keep the girls engaged with fewer meet opportunities, especially not getting to physically see your opponents at meets. But focusing on yourself, your own race, these things are key to finding success in swimming. Focusing on controlling your own swim is what brings the outcomes you’ve worked for.”
Congratulations to the Upper School varsity members:
Daphne Peterson ’21*, Elliot Glynn ’22, Asha Haug ’22*, Ana Hunt ’22, Allison Wall ’22*
Sophomores Nyomi Cordero ’23, Kylie Donaldson ’23, Alexia Grech ’23*, Natalie Stewart ’23, Katherine Tang ’23, Amelia Peterson ’24, Ella Sabelawski ’24, Molly Thacker ’24
*Denotes Captains
To view the Silver Scholar Team, click here.
To view the 2019-2020 full list of Scholar teams, click here.
