Thiele Earns SCAC Women's Swimming & Diving Elite 19 Award

GARLAND, Texas - In a announcement made at Saturday's conference championship, Austin College's Sammi Thiele was named the 2023 SCAC Women's Swimming & Diving Elite 19 award winner.

Thiele, a junior from Keller, Texas, currently holds a 3.91 GPA in English while minoring in Education. At this weekend's SCAC Championship, she earned all-SCAC honors in three individual events, including the 100 backstroke when she became just the third Austin College women's swimmer to ever win an individual championship at the SCAC championship meet, breaking the conference record to bring home the gold. She was also all-conference in the 200 IM and 200 breast. 

The first female Austin College swimmer to earn the SCAC Elite 19 award, Thiele is the fifth AC student-athlete in any sport to receive the honor.

Established prior to the 2018-19 academic year and meant to recognize the best of the best within each conference sponsored-sport as it relates to both academic and athletic achievement, the SCAC Elite 19 is awarded to the student-athlete who has completed the equivalent of at least 60 credit hours at his or her current institution and has at least a cumulative 3.25 GPA. The student-athlete must also have earned All-SCAC First, Second or Third Team honors in his/her sport for that particular season.