Three Women's Swimmers Earn Academic All-MAC Status
3/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving
March 17, 2003
The Mid-American Conference announced three Miami women's swimmers were named to the Academic All-MAC team, as voted by the faculty athletic representatives at the nine member institutions that sponsor swimming and diving. Of the 19 swimmers, seniors Colleen Rambasek (Kettering, Ohio/Alter) and Rebecca Vianello (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mariemont) along with junior Amy Miranda (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) earned the distinction.
During the season, Rambasek won the 50-yard freestyle at Ohio State on Nov. 16 with a time of 0:24.68. She also won the 50- and 100-yard free over Wright State on Jan. 17 and took home the top time in the 50 free over Buffalo and Eastern Michigan on Feb. 8. She has seven second-place finishes on the season. Heading into the MAC Championships, she held the MAC's second fastest time in the 50-yard free and the 11th fastest time in the 100 free. During the MAC Championships, Rambasek earned fourth in the 50-yard freestyle, ninth in the 100-yard butterfly and 10th in the 100-yard freestyle. Rambasek holds a 3.66 GPA while majoring in Early Childhood Education.
Vianello, who has been overcoming a shoulder injury the past two seasons, placed second in the 200-yard backstroke on Jan. 17 with a time of 2:12.24. She improved her time in the 200-yard back with a time of 2:10.19 versus Ohio and Bowling Green for fifth place to secure her spot on the MAC Championship squad. Before the MAC Championships began, she had the 16th fastest time in the 200-yard back in the MAC. During the MAC's, Vianello placed 12th in the 200-yard backstroke along with swimming in the 100-yard backstroke and the 50-yard freestyle. Vianello holds a 3.94 GPA in exercise science.
Miranda is no stranger to awards as she was one of five swimmers who earned first-team conference honors along with the academic award. Miranda placed first in the 1650-yard freestyle and second in the 500-yard freetsyle at the MAC Championships. Miranda will be swimming in both races at the NCAA Championships on March 20-22 in Auburn, Ala. after qualifying during the MAC's. Miranda earned MAC Swimmer of the Week honor earlier this year after she broke the MAC record time, the Miami record, and set a Miami record in the first 1,000-yards of the 1650-yard freestyle race in Minnesota on Nov. 23. The distance swimmer had six first-place finishes, eight second-place finishes and two third-place finishes on the year. Miranda carries a 3.45 in marketing.
The honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50% of the contests for that particular sport. First year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award. Outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments from the current season only are considered.
2003 Women's Swimming and Diving Academic All-MAC Team
Name, School, Year, GPA, Major, Hometown
Kathleen Christian, Akron, Sr., 3.78, Exercise Science, Tallmadge, OH
Lindsay Jones, Akron, Sr., 3.95, Speech Pathology, Louisville, OH
Heather Log, Akron, Sr., 3.85, Mechanical Engineering, Westerville, OH
Susan Over, Akron, Jr., 3.84, Elementary Education, Wadsworth, OH
Jamie VanNess, Ball State, Jr., 3.696, Business, Lafayette, IN
Emily Aubie, Ball State, Jr., 3.515, Chemistry & Pre-Med, Nepean, Ontario
Amy Smith, BGSU, So., 4.00, Social Work, Livonia, MI
Jennefer Brankovsky, Buffalo, So., 3.667, Exercise Science, Toronto, Ontario
Jolie Pun, Buffalo, Jr., 3.967, Chemistry, Fonthill, Ontario
Stacey Zimmerman, Buffalo, Sr., 3.767, Nursing, Penfield, NY
Althea Lim, EMU, Sr., 3.65, Computer Information Systems, Quezon City, Phillipines
Lauren Musk, EMU, Jr., 3.72, Political Science, Ft. Wright, KY
Anca Tilea, EMU, Jr., 3.34, Psychology, Sibiu, Romania
Erika Nilsson, Marshall, So., 3.53, Pre-Business/Marketing, Haninge, Sweden
Amy Miranda, Miami, Jr., 3.45, Marketing, Louisville, KY
Colleen Rambasek, Miami, Sr., 3.66, Early Childhood Education, Kettering, OH
Becca Vianello, Miami, Sr., 3.94, Exercise Science, Cincinnati, OH
Courtney Kostival, Ohio, Jr., 3.87, Early childhood education, Athens, Ohio
Samantha Pfaller, Ohio, Jr., 3.54, Pre-medicine biological sciences, Toronto, Ontario