Photo by Griffin Scott
ATHENS – Former Georgia swimmer Shannon Vreeland has been chosen as a recipient of an NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award, which recognizes student-athletes for their successes in academics and athletics and in the community.
Vreeland and the additional recipients, all of whom completed their collegiate eligibility in 2013-14, will be recognized at the Honors Celebration during the NCAA Convention in January.
Vreeland, a native of Overland Park, Kansas, helped the Lady Bulldogs win their second straight NCAA title and their fifth consecutive SEC championship last season. A 19-time All-American, Vreeland swam on four NCAA-winning relays during her career: the 800-yard freestyle relays in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and the 400-yard freestyle relay in 2013. She also earned two individual and five relay titles during her career at the SECs. Vreeland helped the 800-yard freestyle relay squad set the American record, while the 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays eclipsed the U.S. Open and NCAA marks.
Vreeland has enjoyed international success as well. She won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics as a member of the Games-record-setting 800-meter freestyle relay and claimed a gold at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, three golds at the 2013 World Championships and a gold at the 2012 Short Course World Championships.
Following her senior season, Vreeland was chosen as the 2014 Kansas City Sports Commission’s Sportswoman of the Year.
She also has collected multiple academic honors, including the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award for all sports, NCAA and SEC Postgraduate Scholarships, the CSCAA Scholar-Athlete Award, the SEC and Georgia honor rolls, and the Ramsey Scholarship for Academic and Athletic Excellence. Vreeland boasts a 3.85 GPA with a double major in Economics and International Affairs.
Vreeland additionally was named to the 2014 SEC Community Service Team for her volunteer work with Georgia’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and organizations such as Special Olympics, Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic and the Athens Food Bank.
“We are so proud of Shannon for this recognition,” said Harvey Humphries, Georgia’s Acting Head Coach. “She has never been afraid of setting lofty goals or of hard work. Shannon’s level of commitment to school, to swimming and to the community is incredible. She never stops working and she gives her best effort at everything she does. Shannon is truly deserving of this award.”