Good Monday morning. The need for speed is something that many people chase in sports. Add in a dose of smarts and it’s a lethal combination.

Late last week, three Mason programs did just that and were honored for their excellence in both categories.

What all is stirring in today’s Brew? You don’t want to miss!

👟 Fast Learners
🏊 Swimming Scholars
🌠 Power Pair
​⭐ And much, much more!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Fast Learners. Quick and Smart? That’s a tough combination to beat!

That’s exactly what the Mason track & field programs put on display yet again this past year and their success was honored by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Both George Mason men's and women's programs were named All-Academic Teams. The women have earned the award every season for the last 12 campaigns, while the men have collected the honor in 11 of the past 12 years.
 
In order to be recognized as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team, a team must have at least a 3.0 cumulative team GPA. The women's team finished with a cumulative GPA of 3.42. The men finished the academic year with a 3.17 cumulative GPA.

In addition, five Patriots were named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track & Field Team. On the women's side Annabelle Eastman and Grace Furlong earned the honor for a second time. Dhiambi Otete and Lindsey Schmidt were named to the academic team for the first time. Men's track & field student-athlete Ed Deskins is a first-time honoree.

🔼 Swimming Scholars. On the track wasn’t the only place that the Patriots were showing speed and smarts.

The George Mason women's swimming and diving program was recently selected as a Scholar All-American Team by the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA).
 
Teams were selected based on their spring 2023 team grade point averages. The Patriots posted a 3.48 GPA and were one of nine Atlantic 10 Conference teams to earn the honor.
 
Jacquee Clabeaux, a public health major, and Ali Tyler, a forensic science major, were each selected Second Team Scholar All-America.

🔼 Power Pair. When you talk about ambassadors, there’s no one better to represent the Green and Gold than these two Patriots.

This week, Annabelle Eastman and Aly Rayle were both announced by the Atlantic 10 Conference as nominees for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award. They were two of just 17 student-athlete nominees from the Atlantic 10.

The 17 institutional nominees have been recognized for their leadership skills, their academic prowess, exceptional athletic success and for their community service. The candidates have noteworthy credentials, garnering All-Conference awards, postseason championship participation and national and A-10 academic honors.

One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics.

Now in its 33rd year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.

🔼 New York State Of Mind. He may not be allowed back in his hometown, but for Ben Shields, it doesn’t really matter.

The Boston, Mass. native and Patriots southpaw signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees this week.

He is now the fourth player in program history to sign with the Yankees.

This past spring, he was an all-conference selection after leading the team in starts, strikeouts and tied for first in wins. He ranked in the top-30 nationally in strikeouts.

He helped Mason earn the 2023 A-10 Championship and its first regional final berth as well.

🌠 THE LEWIS ERA

The Dawn Of A New Era. July 1st officially started a new era of George Mason Athletics.

That was the day that Marvin Lewis, a former star collegiate student-athlete himself, officially took over the reins as the Athletic Director.

Energy, excitement and hard work are just some of what Marvin brings to the table. We can’t wait to see what the future has in store!

⭐️ COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: 31 DAYS

The Start Of The Streak. It was 31 years ago today that George Mason volleyball started its run of 5 straight CAA titles.

Two years after reaching the CAA Championship match for the first time (1990), the Patriots blitzed their way to the title, to start a streak of five straight championships for Mason.

Overall, Mason has won eight conference championships, the one in 1992 was the first in program history.

🤔 PATRIOT TRIVIA

The first of many… As mentioned above, the 1992 championship for the volleyball team started a five-year streak of titles for the Patriots on the court.

Who was Mason’s opponent in that 1992 championship match?

Think you got it?

Scroll on down to the bottom of this email for the answer!

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🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: William & Mary.

The seven-time defending champions, William & Mary Tribe, had their streak snapped in 1992 by Pat Kendrick and the Patriots.

Let’s start the week strong, ya’ll!