ATHENS, Ga. – University of Georgia senior swimmer Courtney Harnish was named the 2021 Southeastern Conference Women’s Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year Friday afternoon, as announced by the league office in Birmingham.
Harnish is the ninth member of the swimming and diving program to receive this honor, last awarded to Chantal Van Landeghem in 2017.
Harnish, a native of York, Pennsylvania, is a senior marketing major with a 3.67 cumulative grade point average. She is a four-time SEC champion, earning three consecutive gold medals in the 500 freestyle, including a victory last night, along with a title in the 1,650 freestyle in 2018. She has earned 12 medals overall at the SEC Championships, including five in 2020 and two already at this year’s event. She has been named to the All-SEC First Team and SEC Academic Honor Roll in each of her first three seasons.
Harnish has qualified for the NCAA Championships in all three seasons, placing eighth in the 500 freestyle in 2019 and earning 10 CSCAA All-America citations. This season, she has posted A-cuts in the 200 and 500 freestyle, as well as B-cuts in the 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 200 butterfly. She has also been twice named to the CSCAA Scholar All-America First Team.
Outside of the water, Harnish represents the women’s swimming and diving team on the UGA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. In November, she was inducted into the Georgia Way Leadership Education and Development Academy and has been named to the J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Honor Roll each semester of her college career.
