ATHENS, Ga.
– Former Georgia swimmer Samantha Arsenault has been chosen as a recipient of
the prestigious NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award, announced recently by the NCAA.
“We could not be more proud of Sam,” Georgia
swimming coach Jack Bauerle said. “She worked so hard to become the consummate
student-athlete during her stay at Georgia.
She is very talented academically and athletically, but she also put in some
good, old-fashioned hard work. I am proud of her for bringing even more honor
and glory to Georgia.
It means a lot to all of us in the athletic program, and it means even more to
Sam. An award like this was part of her goals when we first sat down after she
arrived at Georgia.”
The NCAA Honors Committee honored eight student-athletes
based on their athletic success, academic achievement and community service.
The awards will be presented Jan. 7 at the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis.
Arsenault, a native of Peabody,
Mass., capped her collegiate career in
style in 2005 by swimming on the 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams that won
NCAA titles. In addition, Arsenault co-captained the Lady Bulldogs’ squad that
won the program’s fourth national championship.
Arsenault was a seven-time All-American and she garnered
five Honorable Mention certificates. In addition to the 2005 relays, Arsenault
was a member of the 200 freestyle relay team that won the 2002 national crown.
Arsenault earned a gold medal as a member of the 800 free relay at the 2000
Olympic Games in Sydney. She won a
gold medal in the 200 free at the 2000 World Cup in Paris.
Arsenault earned a 3.82 grade point average majoring in
science education. She was a member of the Dean's List and a Presidential
Scholar, and she was honored with the Joel Eaves Award for the senior female
athlete with the highest grade point average at UGA. She was a Ramsey Scholar
(top 10 athletes at UGA ranked by GPA) and was named to the SEC Academic Honor
Roll and the College Swim Coaches Association All-Academic Team. She earned
postgraduate scholarships from both the NCAA and the SEC.
Arsenault was a member of the Blue Key National Honor
Society, the Kappa Delta Epsilon education honor society and the Golden Key
International Honor Society. She was the winner of the 2004 BellSouth
Leadership Award. She was active in community service, volunteering at local
elementary schools, science fairs, hospitals, food pantries and swim camps. Arsenault
was awarded the Peach of an Athlete Award by the Atlanta-area Boy Scouts for
her community-service efforts.
Arsenault is the seventh Georgia
student-athlete (and third swimmer) to receive the Top VIII Award. The others
were Lisa Coole, swimming, 1998; Matt Stinchcomb, football, 1999; Debbie
Ferguson, track, 2000; Kristy Kowal, swimming, 2001; Kim Black, swimming, 2002;
and Jon Stinchcomb, football, 2003. Football player Terry Hoage received
similar recognition in 1984 when the award was known as the NCAA Top VI.
##
