Metzler Repeats as America East Women's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year

BOSTON – Rising senior Anna Metzler (Regensburg, Germany) of the University of New Hampshire was named the 2020-21 America East Women's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday. Metzler is a repeat honoree from the 2019-20 season.

Metzler is one of two UNH student-athletes to be named a sport-specific 2020-21 Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She and women's basketball player Ivy Gogolin (Hopkinton, Mass.) are now under consideration for the 2020-21 America East Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, which will be announced in July.

"Anna's achievements continue to impress and amaze all of us," UNH head coach Josh Willman said. "In an incredibly challenging year with many obstacles, she managed to qualify for NCAA's in a dual meet after only a few weeks of training this past January. Her academic standing is equally impressive and this all speaks to her character, dedication and competitiveness.

"We are all very proud of Anna," he continued. "She exemplifies exactly what our program is all about and we are excited to see what more she will achieve in the years to come!"

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In the classroom, Metzler has a 3.94 cumulative grade point average in pursuit of a biomedical science: med lab science degree. In addition to being a two-time America East Women's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, she has been voted to the America East All-Academic Team twice and received the America East Elite 18 Award in 2021.

Metzler's other academic accolades include CSCAA Scholar All-American (2019), America East Commissioner's Honor Roll every year and being inducted into the National College Athlete Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma this past May.

Metzler opened the 2020-21 season Feb. 20 by breaking UNH's Swasey Pool records with NCAA-qualifying times in the 200-yard individual medley (1 minute, 59.23 seconds) and the 400 IM (4:10.57).

In her debut at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 18, Metzler recorded the fifth fastest time in program history in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.00. She then recorded the fifth fastest time in program history in the 400 IM with a time of 4:13.26 that placed 28^th overall in the opening heats.

Following the NCAAs – and 10 days of quarantine because of UNH COVID-19 protocols, Metzler swam in a dual meet at the University of Vermont on April 2 and won all three individual events in which she competed. In addition to first-place finish in the 1,000 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 200 back, she was part of the winning 400 medley relay.

Metzler won both the 200 back and 200 free at the America East Championships and was part of four winning relay teams to lead UNH to a second consecutive conference title. She was intentionally held out of two of her stronger events – the 200 and 400 IM – to score points for the Wildcats in other events and also did that with a second-place effort in the 100 back.

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This is the ninth time a UNH Wildcat has been named the America East Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The previous honorees were Denise Leckenby (1996, 1998), Kristin Latourelle (1999), Lauren McCandless (2012, 2014), Katie Mann (2013, 2015) and Metzler (2020).

Scholar-Athlete of the Year honorees were nominated by their institution and then voted upon by the conference's Student-Athlete Engagement Committee. Each nominee was a starter or prominent reserve and carries a GPA of 3.50 or higher.

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