UNI swim & dive land seven on MVC Scholar-Athlete Team
2/23/2023 3:05:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
ST. LOUIS --- Following last week's Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championships in Iowa City, 7 members of the UNI swimming and diving team have been named to the conference's Scholar-Athlete Team, as announced by the league office on Thursday afternoon.
Scholar-Athlete honors require athletes to have competed in the MVC Swimming and Diving Championships and maintain either a 3.5 grade-point average and obtain all-conference honors, achieve a 3.7 grade-point average and receive All-Conference Honorable Mention, or maintain a 3.9 grade-point average and participate in the MVC championship (including non-scorers). This season, the MVC is honoring 68 swimmers and divers who achieved this honor. Illinois State's Madyson Morse was named the 2023 MVC Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Amber Finke - Junior - Carol Stream, Ill. | Pre-Professional Physical Therapy
Finke finished in the top-five in 6 of her 7 events at the MVC Championships, including a second place finish in the 200-yard backstroke with the second fastest time in program history (1:57.55). She also took home third place in the 100-yard backstroke, as well as both the 200 and 800-yard freestyle relays, earning First Team All-MVC recognition. Finke broke UNI's 200-yard freestyle record with a time of 1:49.43 leading off the 800-yard freestyle relay. This is Finke's second MVC Scholar-Athlete selection after being named to the team last season, in which she also took home the MVC's Elite 17 Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing in the championships.
Faith Larsen - Sophomore - Eden Prairie, Minn. | Political Science
Larsen re-wrote the record books as she set a new 50-yard freestyle record with a time of 22.50 to top the podium as MVC champion in the event. She also snagged third place in the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle relay, while also finishing in the top-five in three other relays to pick up First Team All-MVC honors. This is Larsen's first MVC Scholar-Athlete Team selection.
Taylor Hogan - Senior - Waterloo, Iowa | Communication Sciences & Disorders
Last year's MVC champion in three-meter diving and MVC Diver of the Year, Taylor Hogan took 10th place in the three-meter competition this year, and 11th in the one-meter competition. This is Hogan's fourth straight MVC Scholar-Athlete Team nod.
Kassidy Lovig - Senior - Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Anthropology & Public Health
Lovig swam in 6 races to close out her collegiate career last week in Iowa City. This is her fourth consecutive MVC Scholar-Athlete Team honor.
Olivia Chambers - Sophomore - Little Rock, Ark. | Biology
Chambers swam in 6 events in her second MVC Championship meet, sneaking into the top-eight to finish in seventh place in the 1650-yard freestyle, recording the third fastest time in UNI history (17:10.48). She also took home ninth place in the 800-yard freestyle relay and 20th in the 500-yard freestyle. This is Chambers' first career MVC Scholar-Athlete Team honor.
Payton Hall - Senior - Omaha, Neb. | Biology/Biomedical
Hall wrapped up her UNI career with appearances in 5 events, headlined by an eighth place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, cracking UNI's top-four list all-time with a time of 55.26 seconds in her first career A-Final at the MVC Championships. She also took home 18th place in the 200-yard backstroke. This season marks Hall's fourth straight selection to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team.
Hannah Taylor - Sophomore - Marshalltown, Iowa | Business Management & Administration
Sophomore Hannah Taylor made her first career MVC Championship A-Final last week, taking eighth place in the 3-meter competition to earn All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition. She also finished in 15th place in the 1-meter competition. This is Taylor's first selection to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team.
Players Mentioned
