May 19, 2010

PHILADELPHIA - Four La Salle swimmers have been named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team, led by All-Area Performer of the Year Shannon Duval. Emily Heath, Brandon Hargraves and Ed Carnes were also honored. The teams are voted on by the sports information directors at the 28 institutions in the Philadelphia area and are open to student-athletes in all three NCAA divisions.

Duval was tabbed Academic All-Area Performer of the Year following yet another record-breaking season as an Explorer. For her career, she holds (or has a hand in) a total of nine school records, including the 100- and 200- yard breaststroke, 200 yard individual medley, 200 yard freestyle, 200- and 400- yard medley relays, as well as the 200-, 400-, and 800- yard freestyle relays.

Duval is a two-time individual conference champion, earning titles in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke events at the 2010 Atlantic 10 Championship. She also earned the bronze medal in the 200 IM at A-10's and was the second leg of the school-record-setting 400 medley relay that also bronzed at A-10's. This season, she became the first female swimmer in Atlantic 10 history to earn three consecutive Performer of the Week honors. Duval was a Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honoree in 2009 as well.

Duval is one of four Explorers who have been named Atlantic 10 Student-Athlete of the Year in their respective sports this year. She also earned Academic All-Conference honors as a junior, as well as Academic All-Area and has been a fixture on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll. She recently graduated with a degree in Finance.

Joining Duval on the Women's Academic All-Area Team is Heath, who put together a terrific season as well. Heath swam her way to the Atlantic 10 title in the 1,650 freestyle at the 2010 Atlantic 10 Championship and earned the bronze medal in the 500 free. She also finished fourth in the conference in the 200 breaststroke and swam a leg on the 800 free relay. In 2009, she helped the Explorers 800 free relay squad to a school record at A-10's. Heath owns a near-4.0 GPA in Mathematics and is also a fixture on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Carnes and Hargraves were named to the Men's Academic All-Area Team, joining Penn as the only other area school to have two student-athletes honored on the men's team.

Hargraves, who graduated on Sunday with a degree in Education, was one of the Explorers' top freestylers. He owned team-best times in the 500-, 1000- and 1650- yard freestyle events as a junior in 2009, and finished 17th in the Atlantic 10 this year in the 1,650. He captured a win in the 1,000 free at the Rhode Island Invitational last season. Academically, he has earned Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll status.

Carnes, a sophomore business major, finished sixth in the Atlantic 10 in the 100 yard butterfly and seventh in the 200 yard backstroke B-final. As a freshman in 2009, he swam top 10 finishes in the both the 100 fly and 100 back at A-10's. Carnes also earned Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll status, while being a two-sport student-athlete as he is also on the golf team.