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For Immediate Release

Contact:

Dave Reed
(719) 389-6105          
DReed@ColoradoCollege.edu
                                                           

TWO CC GRADUATES NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS

Jordan DeGayner and Deanna Thirkell recognized

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – June 5, 2012 – A pair of recent Colorado College graduates – Jordan DeGayner of the men’s swimming and diving team and Deanna Thirkell of the women’s tennis squad – put an exclamation point on their collegiate careers by earning a spot on the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Teams as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

DeGayner became the seventh Tiger to earn first-team accolades, joining Deborah Nalty (women’s basketball 1984), Heather McGuire (volleyball 1993), Ryan Egeland (football 1996), Ryan Haygood (football 1996), Heather O’Brien (track & field 1999) and Patrick McGinnis (men’s soccer 2004).

A second-team selection in 2011, DeGayner joins CC’s exclusive list of two-time All-Americans that includes Nalty, McGuire and Brett Sterling (ice hockey 2005 and 2006).

Thirkell earned a spot on the second team and became the first Colorado College tennis player to receive the highly-competitive national honor. She also was a first-team all-district selection as a junior in 2011.

A chemistry major with a 3.90 grade-point average, DeGayner secured All-America honors by winning the 200-yard freestyle at the 2012 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships. He is just the second swimmer in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference history to claim a national title.

DeGayner's time of 1:37.51 lowered his own school record and set an SCAC open standard.

The senior from Nokesville, Va., also earned honorable mention All-America recognition with a 14th-place finish in the 100 free and as part of the CC foursome that placed 12th in the 800 free relay.

DeGayner repeated as the league's Swimmer of the Year and became only the third student-athlete in conference history to earn the distinction more than once. He also was named Swimmer of the Meet at the conference championships for the second year in a row.

During his career, DeGayner won seven individual SCAC titles and set conference records in four events – the 100 butterfly, the 100 and 200 free, as well as a share of the 800 free relay mark.

DeGayner also owns Colorado College standards in six individual events and a share of the top mark in all five relays.

“Jordan has left an amazing legacy on this program through his excellence in both academics and athletics,” said head coach Anne Goodman James. “I am so pleased to see him recognized in this way.

“His athletic performance showed an impressive progress throughout his career, all the way to a national championship. All the while, he maintained a phenomenal academic record. No one better exemplifies the true 'student-athlete.'”

Thirkell, a romance languages major with a 3.98 GPA, was an all-SCAC selection after leading the Tigers with a 16-6 record at No. 1 singles and a 13-9 ledger at No. 1 doubles during the 2012 campaign.

The product of Monument, Colo., completed her career with a 49-26 (.653) singles mark.

“This is a very special honor for Deanna because she worked so hard both on and off the court,” said Todd Doebler, CC’s director of tennis.  

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale, and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution.

About Colorado College
Colorado College is a nationally prominent, four-year liberal arts college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its approximately 2,000 undergraduate students study one course at a time in intensive 3½-week segments. The college also offers a master of arts in teaching degree. For more information, visit www.ColoradoCollege.edu <http://www.ColoradoCollege.edu>.