Eight Florida Swimmers to Participate in Commencement Ceremonies This Weekend
Thursday, December 16, 2010 | Women's Swimming & Diving
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Eight University of Florida swimmers (six women, two men) will be among a total of 33 Gator student-athletes who will be earning their degrees in commencement ceremonies being held Friday afternoon and Saturday throughout the day at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on the UF campus. The six UF women's swimmers graduating are the highest of any women's team at Florida.
Kristen Beales (Arlington, Va.), Coral Lopez (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico), Elizabeth Kemp (Potomac, Md.), Sarah Peterson (Franklin, Tenn.), Stephanie Proud (Durham, England) and Gemma Spofforth (West Sussex, England) make up the women graduating, while Ryan Crete (Sarasota, Fla.) and Shaune Fraser (George Town, Cayman Islands) represent the men earning their degrees.
The class is arguably one of the most successful graduating classes in school history, with the group combining for 67 All-America honors and 10 individual national championships. The grouping of Beales, Lopez, Kemp, Peterson and Spofforth made up part of the storied 2010 women's swimming and diving squad that in March of this year helped Florida bring home its first NCAA women's title since 1982. Fraser and Crete were on the 2010 men's team that scored 364 points at the 2010 NCAA Championships, the most ever by a men's team in school history. All eight athletes have been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll over the course of their career, while several in the group have been named CSCAA Academic All-Americans.
Additionally, Spofforth, the world record holder in the 100-meter backstroke, was the subject of UF's official commencement ceremony press release earlier this week after being honored with the Fall 2010 Outstanding Leadership Award for Graduating Seniors by the University of Florida Alumni Association. The Great Britain National Team member native finished her Gator career with seven NCAA titles (tied for seventh in school history) and 25 All-America honors, which is fifth all-time at Florida.
On the men's side Fraser earns his degree after capturing a school-record 27 All-American honors, including three national championships. The Olympian's three NCAA titles tie him for seventh-most in school history.
The Florida football team leads the way in number of December graduates, with 12 players set to receive degrees from UF. The softball team has three graduates, while women's basketball and gymnastics each have two student-athletes taking part in commencement ceremonies. Baseball, women's track and field, volleyball, women's golf, men's tennis and men's track and field all have one athlete graduating.
The University of Florida men's and women's swimming and diving program is in the midst of a break from competition before returning Jan. 7 to host Georgia Tech in the Gators' first home dual meet since Oct. 11. Gator fans are also encouraged to follow the program on Twitter and Facebook.
