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UK’s Danielle Galyer is First Team Academic All-America for Second Consecutive Year

By Karlie Kinneer

Following the completion of her stellar University of Kentucky career, senior swimmer Danielle Galyer was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America At-Large First Team for the second consecutive year, the organization announced Thursday afternoon.

“It’s a culmination of her outstanding career both as a student as an athlete at Kentucky,” said head coach Lars Jorgensen. “She’s been a role model for the entire swimming and diving program over the past four years — a perfect example of achieving at the highest level inside and outside of the classroom.”

Galyer is just the second Wildcat in program history to earn First Team Academic All-America in consecutive seasons and the first in almost two decades as Beth Leake did so in 1997-98.

Double majoring in psychology and political science, Galyer maintained a flawless 4.0 grade-point average in her time as a student-athlete. The Greenville, South Carolina, native was selected Southeastern Conference (SEC) Scholar-Athlete of the Year for both her sophomore and junior campaigns and was awarded the NCAA Elite 90 Award in 2016 and 2017.

A member of the USA National Team and four-time First Team All-American, Galyer became the first swimmer in Kentucky history to earn a national title when she won the 200-yard backstroke in a school-record time of 1:49.71 at the 2016 NCAA Championships, the sixth-fastest swim in American swimming history.

In her senior campaign, Galyer led the Kentucky women’s team to its best SEC Championships finish in program history as well as its highest point total at the NCAA Championships. Galyer was named to the All-SEC Second Team for the second consecutive year after earning silver in the 200 back for the second consecutive season.

Galyer plans to further her academics by attending the University of Florida for law school this fall.

For the latest on the Kentucky swimming and diving program, follow @UKSwimDive on Twitter, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UKSwimDive, and on the web at www.UKathletics.com

Photo provided by UK Athletics. 

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