Trio of Cavaliers Named Preseason All-Americans

Sept. 12, 2016

Full Preseason All-America List | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.-A trio of Virginia swimming seniors, Kaitlyn Jones, Laura Simon and Leah Smith, have been named Preseason All-Americans by CollegeSwimming.com, the site announced Monday (Sept. 12).

With three student-athletes, Virginia had the most women recognized in the ACC and was one of 10 schools with at least three women’s swimmers selected.

Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was selected for the 200-, 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle events. She has captured the NCAA titles in the 500 and 1,650 each of the last two seasons and earned gold (4×200-meter freestyle relay) and bronze (400m free) at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Smith has earned 11 All-America citations in her UVA career.

Jones (Newark, Del.) was selected for the 200 butterfly and 200 IM. She finished 10th in the 200 fly and 15th in the 200 IM at the 2016 NCAA Championships. In three years at UVA, Jones is a seven-time All-American.

Simon (Simmern, Germany) was tabbed for the 100 and 200 breaststroke. She finished seventh in the 100 breast at the NCAA Championships in 2016 and was the NCAA runner-up in the 200 breast in 2015. Overall, Simon is a 10-time All-American.

Selections were based on the times of both returning and incoming swimmers (through Sept. 1) with input from coaches and sports information contacts.