May 20, 2010

ST. LOUIS - For the first time since 2006, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) voted two members of the Saint Louis swimming and diving team to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District at-large squads. Junior swimmer Michael Dahle (St. Louis, Mo. / Lindbergh) was named to the men's first team, making him eligible for Academic All-America honors, while senior diver Anna Larson (St. Charles, Mo. / Francis Howell) captured a spot on the women's second team.

Dahle, a biomedical engineering major, registered a team-best 20 individual wins this season. He was the only Billiken to collect three individual first-place finishes in a meet, accomplishing the feat five times. Dahle, who picked up his second Academic All-Conference plaudit in 2010, shattered the school record in the 400 IM (4:01.17) in the Atlantic 10 Championship final after posting the fourth-best effort in SLU annals in the prelim (4:04.87). At the conference championships, he finished fourth in the 400 IM, 10th in the 200 fly (1:54.78) and 13th in the 200 back (1:53.72). Dahle clocked the Billikens' fastest times of the season in the 200 back, 200 fly and 400 IM at the A-10s, while also swimming the leadoff leg of the 800-free relay (6:54.86), which recorded the third-fastest time in program history.

Larson, a four-time NCAA Zone Meet qualifier and the most decorated female diver in program history, was named SLU's 2010 co-Female Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year earlier this month after winning the Atlantic 10 Conference three-meter title (268.95) at the league championships in February. It was the second time the psychology major had captured the crown after earning her first title as a freshman in 2007. Larson, who earned three straight Academic All-Conference plaudits, also came in ninth in the A-10 one-meter competition (190.65).

Larson, who finished first in 16 diving events in her final season, eclipsed SLU's three-meter standard three times during her senior campaign, posting her top score of 329.10 at the Stephens-Lindenwood meet. At the Lindenwood Invitational, she shattered her own school record on the one-meter board (295.40). Larson completed her career with the top seven one-meter performances in program annals and seven of the top 10 three-meter efforts.

The Billiken swimming and diving team's last Academic All-District selection was Brad Byars in 2008. SLU had multiple selections in 2006 in Christopher Johansen and Kelly Tessar, who each went on to achieve Academic All-America status.

Saint Louis Billikens Swimming & Diving