Theophil Syslo/Bates College

Eight of the nine swimmers who earned Individual Scholar All-America awards. (Not pictured: Max Cory)

Swimming and Diving 7/2/2026 6:48:00 PM Aaron Morse

Bates swim teams recognized for academic and athletic prowess by CSCAA

Nine Bobcats earn individual Scholar All-America honors

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Bates swimming and diving program had a big year in the pool and in the classroom, and that was recognized on Thursday by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America, with all nine Bobcats who competed at the NCAA Championships earning first team Scholar All-America honors and both squads being named Scholar All-America Teams.

Teams were selected on the basis of their Spring 2026 grade point averages and were required to achieve a team grade point average of 3.00 or higher to earn Scholar All-America recognition. The Bates women's swimming and diving team posted a GPA of 3.69 while the men's team checked in at 3.80. The men's team GPA is the highest in the NESCAC and is tied for the fourth-highest in all of NCAA Division III. Both teams were also recognized in the fall as Scholar All-America teams, when they both achieved GPAs of 3.75.

Nine Bobcats represented the Bobcats at this year's NCAA Division III Championships and all nine earned first team Scholar All-America recognition for their work in the classroom, meeting the criteria of having earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher and participating in their national championship.

On the women's side of the ledger, Sarah Palmer '27 (Brunswick, Maine) is now a three-time CSCAA first team Scholar All-American after a season that saw the mathematics major place sixth in the 200-yard breaststroke and 11th in the 100-yard breaststroke at the NCAA Championships.
Men's team captain Max Cory '26 (Dublin, Calif.) wraps up his career as a four-time CSCAA first team Scholar All-American. The biochemistry major graduates as the most decorated men's sport athlete in Bates College history, having earned 15 All-America awards during his career and two NCAA Division III national championships, including a 400-yard medley relay title this year. He anchored the 400-yard medley relay, as Bates broke the NCAA Division III record in the event.
Liam Friedlander '27 (Pittsburgh, Pa.) qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career this season, placing 24th nationally after finishing NESCAC runner-up in the 200-yard butterfly. The environmental studies major sports a GPA of 3.96 and was also one of eight Bobcats chosen for the College Sports Communicators Swimming & Diving Academic All-District® Team.
Tim Johnson '27 (Brewster, Mass.) is now a three-time CSCAA first team Scholar All-American. A member of the NCAA Division III champion and national record-breaking 400-yard medley relay team, the biochemistry major placed fifth in the country in the 200-yard backstroke and 12th in the 100-yard backstroke this year. He also helped the 400-yard freestyle relay team take fourth place.
Nate Oppenheim '28 (Easton, Conn.) is now a two-time CSCAA first team Scholar All-American. A member of the NCAA Division III champion and national record-breaking 400-yard medley relay team, the psychology major placed 12th in the country in the 100-yard breaststroke this year.
After a year studying at Dartmouth, Nate Pierce '26 (Fairfield, Maine) returned to the Bobcats this season and didn't miss a beat. Now a three-time CSCAA first team Scholar All-American, the physics / mechanical engineering double major helped Bates place fourth in the country in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Men's team captain and College Sports Communicators first team Academic All-America® selection Marrich Somridhivej '26 (South Windsor, Conn.) had perhaps the greatest season in Bates athletics history. He won the NCAA Division III championship in both the 100-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard medley relay. He also helped the 200-yard freestyle relay team take fifth in the country and placed 13th individually in the 200-yard breaststroke. The biology major graduates holding six Bates records, three NCAA Division III records, as a 10-time All-American, and as a four-time CSCAA first team Scholar All-American.
John Weigel '27 (Iowa City, Iowa) is now a three-time CSCAA first team Scholar All-American, having helped Bates place fourth in the country in the 400-yard freestyle relay at the NCAA Championships. The neuroscience major also helped the Bobcats take fifth in the 200-yard freestyle relay and took 12th individually in the 200-yard freestyle and 15th in the 100-yard freestyle.
In addition to being recognized as a first team CSCAA Scholar All-American, Benjamin Wolking '27 (Micanopy, Fla.) is also a College Sports Communicators third team Academic All-America® selection, as the biomedical engineering major sports a perfect 4.00 GPA. A NESCAC champion along with Cory, Somridhivej, and Weigel in the 200-yard freestyle relay, Wolking went on to help the team earn All-America honors in the event, as the Bobcats placed fifth nationally. Wolking's story goes far beyond the pool, as the winner of the "Bobcat Award" at the 2026 CATSBYs explains in his TEDx Talk "Dare to be Delusional."