Five UT Swimmers Named CSC Academic All-Americans, Espernberger & McSharry Earn First Team Recognition

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Five Vols and Lady Vols represented Tennessee swimming & diving on the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Teams, the organization announced Wednesday.

The CSC Academic All-America program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their performance in the pool as well as the classroom. Martin Espernberger and Mona McSharry garnered first team accolades. Josephine Fuller and Camille Spink earned spots on the second team, while Brooklyn Douthwright was tabbed to the third team.

A CSC Academic First Team All-American in 2024 as well, Espernberger holds a 3.91 GPA as an Electrical Engineering major. The Paris Olympian placed fifth overall in the 200 fly at the NCAA Championships this season, marking the best finish by a Vol in the event since 1991 and earning him First Team All-America status.

Espernberger, the 2024 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, joins VFL Zane DeWitz as the lone Vols in program history to garner CSC Academic All-America multiple times and to be tabbed with first team honors twice. In total, UT men’s swimming & diving has been represented 12 times, including six first team recipients.

With four honorees this year, the Lady Vols have now boasted multiple CSC Academic All-Americans during each of the last three seasons. Prior to this stretch, Tennessee women’s swimming & diving only had multiple selections in the same year twice (1992, 1998).

Overall, the Lady Vols boast 24 CSC Academic All-America recipients all time, with 13 being first team honorees. The UT women have been represented on the teams a total of 12 times during the last four seasons, which matches the program’s combined total from prior to that stretch.

This marks the third year in a row McSharry has earned CSC Academic All-America First Team accolades, becoming the first Lady Vol to achieve that feat in program history. She, along with Douthwright and Fuller, are the only individuals to earn Academic All-America status three times in their career.

McSharry earned her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with a 3.57 GPA and is now pursuing a master’s in Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communication. The two-time Olympian leaves Rocky Top as one of the most decorated athletes of all time, boasting seven SEC titles in the breaststrokes, five NCAA medals and the SEC record holder in the 100 breast (56.64). She was a 28-time All-American and brought home 25 total medals from the SEC Championships.

Fuller received first team honors in 2024 and was a third team selection in 2023. She’s a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient, owning a 3.86 GPA while pursuing a degree in Psychology. Throughout her career, she won five medals at the NCAA Championships, including three silver, and earned 21 All-America honors. The four-time All-SEC honoree boasts 19 medals from the conference championships. She ended her collegiate career as the Lady Vol record holder in the 100 and 200 backstrokes.

Holding a 3.81 GPA as a Sport Management major, Spink capped her sophomore campaign with a bronze medal in the 100 free at the NCAA Championships and also took fourth in the 50 free. She was also a member of the 400 free and 400 medley relays that won silver. At the SEC Championships, she became the first Lady Vol ever and the first SEC swimmer since 2007 to sweep the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles. She earned Co-Commissioner’s Trophy honors as the highest point scorer at the meet.

A Biomedical Engineering major with a 3.82 GPA, Douthwright was a first team member last season and was a third team recipient in 2023. The 2024 Paris Olympian is also a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection. She’s a two-time NCAA silver medalist (200 free in 2023, 400 free relay in 2025) and owns 12 SEC medals, including four gold, for her career. She garnered 10 All-American honors and was a four-time All-SEC Team member.

Lady Vol Academic All-Americans
1992 – Catherine Byrne (1st) & Jenny McGrath (3rd)
1998 – Kathy Pesek (1st) & Fabiola Molina (3rd)
1999 – Kathy Pesek (1st)
2001 – Lizzy Flynt (1st)
2004 – Lauren McCalley (2nd)
2008 – Christine Magnuson (1st)
2012 – Kelsey Floyd (2nd)
2013 – Kelsey Floyd (1st)
2014 – Lindsey Gendron (2nd)
2016 – Faith Johnson (1st)
2022 – Kara Holt (3rd)
2023 – Kara Holt (1st), Mona McSharry (1st), Brooklyn Douthwright (3rd), Josephine Fuller (3rd)
2024 – Brooklyn Douthwright (1st), Josephine Fuller (1st), Mona McSharry (1st)
2025 – Mona McSharry (1st), Josephine Fuller (2nd), Camille Spink (2nd), Brooklyn Douthwright (3rd)

Vol Academic All-Americans
1999 – Zane DeWitz (3rd)
2000 – Zane DeWitz (1st)
2001 – Zane DeWitz (1st)
2003 – Mike Burton (1st) & Greg Simpson (2nd)
2006 – Tyler Gustafson (2nd)
2012 – Ryan Helms (1st)
2013 – Brent Sterling (2nd)
2023 – Luke Brice (2nd) & Griffin Hadley (3rd)
2024 – Martin Espernberger (1st)
2025 – Martin Espernberger (1st)