CLARION, Pa. — Clarion senior diver Kristin Day (Reynoldsville/Dubois) was named on June 10 as a repeat winner of the Capital One NCAA Division II Academic All-American of the Year award in the At-Large Division as well as a First Team Academic All-American, while senior swimmer Emilee Gysegem (Warren, Oh./Lakeview) was named a Capital One First Team Academic All-American in the At-Large category as well. The women’s at-large program for Academic All-America includes the sports of bowling, crew, fencing, golf, gymnastics, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, tennis, water polo and swimming and diving.
The Academic All-America program is run and voted on by members of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America).
“What great honors for Kristin and Emilee,” said 15th year Clarion head swimming coach Mark VanDyke. “They represent the true concept of the term student-athlete and we have been proud to have them here at Clarion University for four years.”
Day, the first Clarion student-athlete to win the Academic All-America of the Year Award two times, is a two-time First Team Academic A-A, while Gysegem is also a two-time Academic All-American, earning a second team selection in 2014.
Day, a May, 2015 graduate with a degree in Chemistry and a concentration in Biochemistry, earned 153 credits at Clarion University with a perfect 4.0 gpa. She was honored on March 10 at the NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving National Championships with the prestigious “Elite 89” award, recognizing the top student-athlete at the championships.
Day, a three-time NCAA Division II National Champion and 8-time career All-American, won the NCAA D-II one meter national title this year (2015) with 506.85 points, while finishing 4th on 3 meter 512.20 points. In 2014 she won both NCAA championships in dominating fashion. She won the 3 meter springboard title setting a new NCAA record with 539.35 points, winning the event by 52.9 points. She followed that with a 1 meter national title scoring 497.05 points, winning by 30.2 points. For her efforts she was named the CSCAA NCAA D-II Female “Diver of the Year”.
Kristin finished third on the three meter board with 491.70 points and 5th on 1 meter with 449.90 points in 2013. In 2012 she was second on three meter scoring 484.75 points and fourth on one meter scoring 495.70 points.
The daughter of Dennis and Susan Day of Reynoldsville, Pa., Kristin is a 4-time Clarion and PSAC Scholar Athlete, plus a two-time Spring Top 10 PSAC award winner.
Gysegem, a senior, also graduated in May with a degree in Business Management and a minor in Sports Management. She also compiled a perfect 4.0 grade point average while completing 139 credits. A two-time PSAC “Champion Scholar”, four-time Clarion and PSAC Scholar Athlete, she was the Vice-President of SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) this year, and is the daughter of Lisa and Toby Gysegem.
In the pool at the 2015 PSAC’s Gysegem won the 400 IM with a time of 4:27.09, was third in the 200 IM (2:06.17 – 2:05.75 prelims), 6th in the 200 backstroke (2:05.84) 7th in the 200 butterfly (2:07.77) and on the 4th place 200 and 400 medley relays and the 7th place 800 free relay. Clarion finished the PSAC’s in 5th place as a team. Gysegem owns the Clarion record in the 400 IM at 4:26.35.
At the 2014 PSAC’s Gysegem placed 2nd in the 400 IM (4:27.69), 4th in the 200 IM (2:05.73), 10th in the 100 breaststroke and 9th in the 200 breaststroke, while helping three relays including the 3rd place 200 medley relay, 4th place 400 medley relay and the 8th place 400 free relay. Clarion finished 8th as a team at the 2013 PSAC’s.
In 2013 Gysegem set the school record in the 400 IM for the first time while earning A-A status with a 10th place finish at nationals. Her record time was 4:26.69. Clarion’s women were 17th at D-II Nationals. At the PSAC’s in 2013 Gysegem won the 200 and 400 IM races and was 6th in the 100 back helping Clarion to a 2nd place finish at PSAC’s.
In 2012 Emilee earned third place finishes in the 200 and 400 IM and was 6th in the 200 backstroke at PSAC’s with Clarion finishing second as a team.
CLARION NOTES: Hannah Heeter is Clarion’s only 4-time Academic All-American … She was 1st team volleyball and women’s basketball in the 2014-15 season, and 2nd team in the 2013-14 year… Erin Richard was a three-time AAA in women’s track & field/cc … 3rd team in 2007, 2nd team in 2008 and 3rd team in 2009 … The Academic All-America of the Year Award has been won twice by Day, one each by Heeter, Laura Subject (VB – 2014), and Jamie Wolf (diver – 2007).
