Valpo men's swimming senior Anthony Martin (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Men's Swimming Scholar-Athlete of the Year for his achievements in the pool and in the classroom, the first athlete in program history to earn a conference's highest academic honor. 12 Beacons in all were recognized on Thursday as the MVC announced its Scholar-Athlete Teams.
 
Martin owns a 3.97 cumulative GPA as a mechanical engineering major. A two-time member of the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team, he received the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award last year. Martin is also a two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree and has received Valpo Presidential Academic Honors.
 
In the pool, Martin is wrapping up a distinguished career this week at the National Invitational Championship as part of the Beacons' 800 free relay which smashed the program record at the MVC Championships. He holds the program record individually in the 200 fly and ranks among the top-10 in program history in five other individual events, including four other placements within the top-five. In relay action, Martin swam the anchor leg on four of Valpo's five record-setting relays.
 
Below are Valpo's six men's and six women's honorees on the MVC Scholar-Athlete Teams. Nominees must have a 3.50 GPA and must be a sophomore both academically and athletically. In competition, they must have competed in at least four meets or placed in the top-eight of an individual event or be part of a top-three relay at the MVC Championships. Each team may have a maximum of six honorees.
 
Valpo MVC Scholar-Athlete Team Honorees
Ricky Helmboldt                 3.95        Integrated Business & Engineering
Timothy Mai                        3.51        Mechanical Engineering
Anthony Martin                   3.97        Mechanical Engineering
Braden McCormick            3.67        Marketing
Asa Sadowsky                     3.76        Meteorology
Will Schenk                          3.72        Finance
Roxanne Adams                  3.97        Biology
Kailyn Benoit                       4.00        Health Sciences
Natalie Eaton                       3.88        Communication
Maria Jose Suarez               3.91        Integrated Business & Engineering
Sophie Schoch                     3.86        Mechanical Engineering
Mikaiya Stampf                  4.00        Mechanical Engineering