Michigan State senior diver Amanda Ling was honored as the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship.
Ling, an English major, has a perfect 4.0 GPA, and was presented with the award prior to the evening session at the Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships. The award was first presented at each of the NCAA Championships in 2009-10, and represents the 90 NCAA Championships sponsored by the Association across divisions I, II, and III.
“I am so happy to see Amanda receive this recognition she so richly deserves,” MSU diving coach Eric Best said. “I have never worked with an athlete who is so driven to succeed in all aspects of her life. She is an athlete who is never satisfied but has learned to enjoy her successes. I am so incredibly lucky to have been her coach.”
Ling wrapped her collegiate career earlier in the day in the preliminaries of the 1-meter diving competition, where she scored a 247.95 to finish 37th overall. Ling is a four-year NCAA zone qualifier and made the NCAA Championship meet this year as a senior. An All-American in 2019-20, she is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
Amanda Ling is the second Michigan State student-athlete to earn the prestigious Elite 90 award. Men’s basketball player Colby Wollenman won the award in 2014-15.
