McCulloh and Stege Named to CSC Academic All-America Team
April 22, 2025 | Swimming & Diving, Women's Swimming & Diving
ATHENS, Ga. – University of Georgia seniors Abby McCulloh and Rachel Stege were named to the 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America™ Team, as announced by the organization Tuesday afternoon.
McCulloh, who was a First Team honoree last season, was named to the Second Team, while Stege received Third Team honors. With the pair's selection, Georgia has now produced 45 Academic All-Americans, including at least one in four of the past five seasons.
McCulloh, a Lilburn native currently carrying a 4.0 GPA in Journalism with a minor in Sport Management, adds Tuesday's honor to a host of previous accolades. She was named to three CSC Academic All-District Teams and was a two-time SEC Women's Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Last week, she was announced as Georgia's female nominee for the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In the fall, she was bestowed with the 2024 Joel Eaves Scholar-Athlete Award for the UGA female senior student-athlete with the highest GPA entering the school year and currently serves as the female student-athlete representative to the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors. She has also been named to three CSCAA Scholar All-America First Teams, three SEC Academic Honor Rolls, and the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll in every semester.
McCulloh was also named to the SEC Community Service Team in February and nominated for the Allstate/NACDA Winter Good Works Team. In January, she received the Keith Jackson Rose Bowl Game Postgraduate Scholarship and participated in a specialized work-study program at the Ohio State-Oregon College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
In the water, McCulloh won the 2024 SEC and NCAA championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle, along with a silver medal in the 1,650y free (2025) and bronze medals in the 500y free (2024) and 1,650y free (2022). She has earned five CSCAA First Team All-America honors, two placements on the All-SEC Team, and a spot on the 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team. She left the program ranked second all-time in the 1,000y and 1,650y freestyle.
Stege, a Naperville, Illinois native carrying a 3.79 in Finance, has been a decorated member of the Bulldogs both in and out of the pool during her career. She has twice been named to the CSC Academic All-District Team and is a three-time CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team member. She has also been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in each season and to the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll in every semester, including multiple terms with Dean's List and Presidential Scholars honors.
In the pool, Stege completed her career with four CSCAA First Team All-America citations, including three consecutive championship final appearances in the 500y freestyle. She won the 2023 SEC championship in the 500y free before earning back-to-back silver medals in the event. She was a four-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships and ranks top five in program history in the 500, 1,000, and 1,650y freestyle. In international competition, she is a current member of the 2024-25 USA Swimming National Team and reached two finals at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. In 2023, she won gold medals in the 1,500-meter freestyle and 4x200-meter freestyle relay for Team USA at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, setting a championship record in the 1,500m. She also earned the silver medal in the 800m freestyle and finished fourth in the 400m freestyle.
McCulloh, who was a First Team honoree last season, was named to the Second Team, while Stege received Third Team honors. With the pair's selection, Georgia has now produced 45 Academic All-Americans, including at least one in four of the past five seasons.
McCulloh, a Lilburn native currently carrying a 4.0 GPA in Journalism with a minor in Sport Management, adds Tuesday's honor to a host of previous accolades. She was named to three CSC Academic All-District Teams and was a two-time SEC Women's Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Last week, she was announced as Georgia's female nominee for the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In the fall, she was bestowed with the 2024 Joel Eaves Scholar-Athlete Award for the UGA female senior student-athlete with the highest GPA entering the school year and currently serves as the female student-athlete representative to the UGA Athletic Association Board of Directors. She has also been named to three CSCAA Scholar All-America First Teams, three SEC Academic Honor Rolls, and the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll in every semester.
McCulloh was also named to the SEC Community Service Team in February and nominated for the Allstate/NACDA Winter Good Works Team. In January, she received the Keith Jackson Rose Bowl Game Postgraduate Scholarship and participated in a specialized work-study program at the Ohio State-Oregon College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
In the water, McCulloh won the 2024 SEC and NCAA championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle, along with a silver medal in the 1,650y free (2025) and bronze medals in the 500y free (2024) and 1,650y free (2022). She has earned five CSCAA First Team All-America honors, two placements on the All-SEC Team, and a spot on the 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team. She left the program ranked second all-time in the 1,000y and 1,650y freestyle.
Stege, a Naperville, Illinois native carrying a 3.79 in Finance, has been a decorated member of the Bulldogs both in and out of the pool during her career. She has twice been named to the CSC Academic All-District Team and is a three-time CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team member. She has also been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in each season and to the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll in every semester, including multiple terms with Dean's List and Presidential Scholars honors.
In the pool, Stege completed her career with four CSCAA First Team All-America citations, including three consecutive championship final appearances in the 500y freestyle. She won the 2023 SEC championship in the 500y free before earning back-to-back silver medals in the event. She was a four-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships and ranks top five in program history in the 500, 1,000, and 1,650y freestyle. In international competition, she is a current member of the 2024-25 USA Swimming National Team and reached two finals at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. In 2023, she won gold medals in the 1,500-meter freestyle and 4x200-meter freestyle relay for Team USA at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, setting a championship record in the 1,500m. She also earned the silver medal in the 800m freestyle and finished fourth in the 400m freestyle.
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