Eagles Lead the NJCAA in the Classroom with CSCAA Scholar All-America Honors

MERIDIAN, Miss. – Meridian Community College's men's and women's swimming & diving teams were recognized for their excellence in the classroom, earning 2025 Fall Team Scholar All-America honors from the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).

Both MCC programs finished with the highest team GPA in the NJCAA, marking the first time in program history that Meridian swimming & diving has claimed the top academic spot at the national junior college level.

The men's team, earning Scholar All-America recognition for the first time, posted a 3.75 GPA, while the women's team followed up last year's honor with an even stronger 3.82 GPA. Together, the two programs led all NJCAA swimming & diving teams academically.

Head Coach Wade Heggie said the recognition speaks volumes about his student-athletes' commitment both in and out of the pool.

"I couldn't be more proud of these athletes," Heggie said. "They've put in the work academically while competing at a high level in the pool. To be recognized nationally and to finish at the top of the NJCAA shows the kind of students and people they are."

The women's team GPA was anchored by freshman Hallie McDonald, while the men's academic mark was driven by sophomore Sydney Cooper and freshman Matthew Kirkland.

The CSCAA Scholar All-America Team honor recognizes programs across all divisions of the NCAA, NJCAA, and NAIA. This fall, 709 teams representing 16,421 student-athletes earned the distinction nationwide.

For Meridian Community College swimming & diving, the achievement underscores a growing culture of excellence — one that values academic success just as highly as athletic performance.

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