VERMILLION, S.D.— South Dakota swimming and diving team member Caleb Swanson has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship for his dedication in the classroom and in the pool. Swanson will receive a one-time $10,000 scholarship to be used for postgraduate study.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by awarding the Association’s most accomplished student-athletes. The NCAA awards 126 scholarships across all sports and divisions each year. Awardees must carry a minimum 3.2 grade-point average, be nominated by the faculty athletics representative and intend to pursue postgraduate studies.
“I am honored and humbled to have been selected as a recipient of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in recognition of my academic and athletic achievement, leadership, and campus involvement,” said Swanson. “I am particularly grateful to my coaches, Jason Mahowald and Anthony Harris, for their support of my extracurricular involvement, encouraging me to be more than just a student-athlete, but also an active leader in the USD community. I am also grateful for my teammates, friends, advisors, professors, and family who supported me throughout my time at USD.”
Swanson joins 34 other Coyotes who have received this scholarship, three of which were also members of the Coyote swimming and diving program: Elizabeth Hoffman (2011-12), Emilie Kluth (2007-08) and Jill Smolczyk (2007-08).
“Caleb Swanson exemplifies the qualities needed for a NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship,” said South Dakota faculty athletics representative Jessica Messersmith. “Caleb has an unwavering commitment to excellence in the classroom and that drive for success continues in the pool. Beyond his academic and athletic achievements, Mr. Swanson is a person of integrity, humility, and compassion. He consistently seeks opportunities to give back to his community, whether through volunteering, mentoring, or advocating for causes he believes in. Caleb is a natural leader who leads by example, inspiring those around him to strive for greatness and make a positive impact on the world.”
Swanson, a Mitchell, South Dakota, native, is a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection and a two-time Academic All-Summit League honoree. He competed in three events at the Summit League Championships as a senior and posted five top-20 finishes at the league championships in his career.
“Caleb is everything you could hope for in a STUDENT-Athlete,” swimming and diving head coach Jason Mahowald said. “He was a leader for us in the pool, classroom, and in our community. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Caleb. We are super excited to see what his future holds!”
Swanson is a Summit League honor roll and Commissioner’s List student who carries a 4.00 grade-point average in sustainability and political science/legal studies. The 2023 Truman Scholar is the Student Government Association College of Arts & Sciences Senator/Internal Review Committee Chair and serves on the University Sustainability and Athletic Board of Control Committees.
“After taking a gap year or two, I plan to attend law school where I will specialize in environmental law,” said Swanson. “Ultimately, I hope to become an environmental attorney working to advance sustainability at the intersection of law, policy, agriculture, and the environment.”