ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Bard College swim team has four 2023-24 Division III Academic All-District honorees, an award bestowed to the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performance in the pool and in the classroom. 

The four students who have been recognized are senior Gaius Forsyth and juniors Olivia Dower, Mary Mendez and Julia Pelletier. 

Senior Gaius Forsyth is majoring in psychology and classical studies. Forsyth has participated in every competition for the Raptors this season. He competed in the 200, 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle, the 100 and 200 backstroke, and the 200 free relay. Forsyth swam the 200 backstroke, 500 freestyle and 1650 freestyle during the Liberty League Championships and is part of the quartet that holds the 800 free relay school record. 

Junior Olivia Dower is double majoring in theater performance and political studies. Like Forsyth, Dower has participated in every competition for the Raptors this season. She competed in the 100 and 200 fly, 100 IM, 200 free, 100 breastroke, 200 medley relay and 400 free relay. Dower holds three individual school records (in the 50, 100, and 200 fly) and the 200 medley relay school record. During the Liberty League Championships, she swam the 200 IM, 100 fly, 200 fly and 400 free relay. 

Junior Mary Mendez is majoring in sociology, film, and electronic arts. She participated in nearly all of the team's competitions this season, swimming the 50 free, 100 backstroke, 200 free relay, and 200 medley relay. She swam the 50 free during the Liberty League Championships. Mendez is part of the quartet that holds the 200-medley relay school record. 

Junior Julia Pelletier is majoring in art history. Pelletier participated in the team's fall meets before studying abroad in the spring. She swam in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 100 breastroke and 200 medley relay. She swam personal bests at the Don Richards Invitational in the 100 and 500 free and 100 breaststroke. Pelletier is part of the quartet that holds the 800 free relay school record. 
 
To be recognized on the Academic All-District Team, a student-athlete must be a sophomore or higher in class standing and enrolled full-time with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50. The student-athletes must also have competed in 90 percent of the institutions' competitions or must start in at least 66 percent of competitions. 

The Academic All-District Team is selected by the College Sports Communicators.
 
For more information about CoSIDA's Academic All-District and Academic All-America Teams programs, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.