Senior student-athletes excel in and out of classroom

May 5, 2019

Stan Liu

Chatham Dobbs during the Wildcats dual meet against the Southern California Trojans. Hillenbrand Aquatic Center, Tucson, AZ.

As the school year comes to a close at the University of Arizona, now is the perfect time to recognize some of the senior Wildcat athletes who have been performing well in their sports and in the classroom. Here’s a look at just a few of the ‘Cats who will be leaving the UA with the honor of being named to the Pac-12 All-Academic first team this year:

Ashley Sutherland: women’s swimming and diving

The freestyle swimmer from Buckley, Wash., was named to the All-Academic first team for the third time in her Wildcat career. She finished the semester with a 3.92 GPA, and she’ll graduate with a degree in marketing.

Chatham Dobbs: men’s swimming and diving

In his final semester of school, Dobbs was named to the All-Academic first team for the first time in his career. Majoring in philosophy, he finished the term with a 3.53 GPA. He’ll leave Arizona holding four all-time top-10 times in school history, adding two Pac-12 titles in the 200-meter freestyle and medley relays in 2016.

Matt Lujan: men’s swimming and diving

For the third-straight year, Lujan was named to the All-Academic first team with a 3.65 GPA. Majoring in physiology, he’ll graduate with multiple top-three times on the team in both 100 and 200 backstroke.

Matt Salerno: men’s swimming and diving

Another senior swimmer making the All-Academic team for the third-straight year, Salerno made the team with a 3.82 GPA majoring in veterinary science. As a Wildcat, he holds the eighth-fastest time in school history in the 100-meter breaststroke and was also an All-American honorable mention in the 400 medley relay in 2018.

Travis Thorne: men’s cross country

From Spokane, Wash., Thorne had a 3.79 GPA this semester, which landed him on the All-Academic team for the first time in his career. Majoring in both optical science and engineering, he boasts multiple top-10 finishes in numerous events for the Wildcats.

Hannah Whetzel: women’s cross country

A native of Tucson, Whetzel was named to the All-Academic team with a 3.91 GPA majoring in mechanical engineering. In 2016, she was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic second team for cross country.

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