Hoff Named to Academic All-America First Team

For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 11, 2009

La Crosse, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse junior swimmer Chelsea Hoff of Middleton (H.S.) has been selected to the 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women’s At-Large College Division First Team. She is the third Academic All-American in women's swimming and diving at UW-L, joining Julie Waterhouse and Anne Melvin. Waterhouse was named to the Academic All-America Second Team in 1998 while Melvin was a second-team selection in 2004 and 2005.

The Women's At-Large program for the Academic All-America includes the sports of bowling, crew, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis and water polo. UW-L has now had 54 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans in school history, including at least one selection in 17 consecutive years.

Hoff, a fitness and pre-professional physical therapy major with a 4.00 grade point average, earned six All-America honors at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championships. Individually, she placed fifth in the 50 freestyle and sixth in the 100 backstroke at the national meet while earning All-America honors in four relays. She was a member of the Eagles' seventh-place 200 and 400 freestyle relays and 200 medley relay as well as the 11th-place 400 medley relay.

Named the 2008-09 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Swimmer of the Meet for the second straight season, Hoff won the 50 freestyle and 100 and 200 backstroke at this year's conference championships. She was also on UW-L's first-place 200 and 400 freestyle relays and 200 and 400 medley relays. Hoff set WIAC records in all seven of her first-place finishes. She holds individual school records in the 50 freestyle (23.10), 100 freestyle (51.95), 100 backstroke (55.94) and 200 backstroke (2:02.46). Hoff is also a member of four record-setting relays, including the 200 freestyle (1:33.47), 400 freestyle (3:26.80), 200 medley (1:43.43) and 400 medley (3:48.97).

Hoff helped lead UW-L to an eighth-place finish at the NCAA III Championships and second straight WIAC title in 2009.