Allen Receives UNC Asheville’s First-Ever CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For the first time in UNC Asheville swimming history, the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) named a Bulldog for one of its prestigious postseason awards.

Sophomore Catherine Allen was named the CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year, which was announced Thursday, April 12, by the league office.

Allen, who has an unblemished 4.0 grade-point average as a Biology major, is a Pisgah Merit Award winner and is a member of the UNC Asheville Honors Program. As a sophomore, she is doing undergraduate research that tests the co-cultures of bacteria to determine if it shows antibiotic activity against Staph and E. Coli.

"We are so proud of Catherine's accomplishments both in the classroom and pool," said UNC Asheville swimming head coach Elizabeth Lykins. "Receiving the CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year is well-deserved, as she is heavily involved with the Honors Program and undergraduate biology research. Catherine's commitment to her studies reaches beyond the typical student-athlete."

Outside of the classroom, Allen is an exceptional swimmer for the Bulldogs. This season at the CCSA Championships in Athens, Ga., the Raleigh, N.C. native broke two individual school records (100 and 200 butterfly) and two relay program records (800 freestyle and 400 medley relays).

On top of Allen's individual accolade, the swim team was awarded its 11^th straight College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team honor in February of this year.

Liberty junior Alicia Finnigan was named the Swimmer of the Year, and Savanna Meadows of Incarnate Word was tabbed the Diver of the Year.