Five members of the Milwaukee swim and dive teams were named to the 2026 Valeo Horizon League All-Academic team, according to a March 12 announcement from the league office.
The recognition highlights both academic and athletic achievements for student-athletes in NCAA Division I athletics within the Horizon League. The Milwaukee Panthers Men’s Swimming and Diving Team participates in these competitions as part of the Panthers athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, according to the official website.
Mara Freeman, Christiana Brooks, and Natalie DiProspero were selected for the women’s team. Freeman, an accounting major with a 4.00 GPA, received her third straight honor after contributing to three winning relay teams at the 2026 Horizon League Championships and finishing second in the 100 backstroke. Brooks earned her first career honor while maintaining a 4.00 GPA in biological science; she set a program record in the 100 freestyle and anchored three title-winning relays at the championships. DiProspero, also holding a 4.00 GPA as a nursing major, reached finals in multiple events including fifth place in the 400 individual medley.
On the men’s side, Andrew Jones was recognized for his second consecutive all-academic honor while pursuing a graduate degree in Business Administration with a perfect GPA. He set a school record in the 100 breaststroke and contributed to two program-record relay performances this season. Alvin Valkki received honorable mention with a 3.79 GPA as a data analytics major; he achieved personal bests at the Wisconsin First Chance Meet and currently holds Milwaukee’s school record in the 200 breaststroke.
The Milwaukee Panthers Men’s Swimming and Diving Team operates out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and contributes to athletic traditions at their university while assisting student-athletes in balancing educational and athletic responsibilities, according to their official website (https://mkepanthers.com/sports/mens-swimming-and-diving).
The full list of honorees includes athletes from Cleveland State, Green Bay, IU Indy, Oakland, Youngstown State alongside those from Milwaukee. The recognition underscores ongoing efforts by collegiate programs to support excellence both academically and athletically.
