COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference on Thursday released its 2026 RMAC All-Academic First Team and Honor Roll, with Western Colorado's
Ella Fries and
Morgan Nielsen voted to the first team and 12 other Mountaineers earning inclusion on the Honor Roll.
Student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.50, be in at least their third semester at their attending institution and must have used a season of eligibility to be nominated for first-team consideration. Honor Roll inclusion maintains similar requirements but with a minimum GPA of 3.30.
Nielsen was an NCAA Division II 2026 championship meet qualifier, swimming in the 500-, 1,000- and 1.650-yard freestyle events at the meet in Evansville, Indiana. She placed 22nd in the 1,000 with a new school record of 10 minutes, 18.24 seconds, 24th in the 1.650 (17:20.10) and 25th in the 500 (5:03.92). All were season best times for Nielsen.
At the 2026 RMAC championship meet she earned podium finishes in the 1.650 (6th place), 1,000 (7th) and 500 (8th), and earned a 13th-place finish in the 200 freestyle. Nielsen was the anchor on the Mountaineers' fifth place 400 free and 400 medley relays, and the sixth-place 800 free relay. She accumulated the 18th-most points in the meet (83).
Fries was 55th in total points scored at the 2026 RMAC championship meet, scoring in all four of her individual events and swimming on three top-5 relays.
Her highest finish was in the 100 breaststroke where she placed ninth overall in winning the B consolation final with a time of 1:04.52. She scored in the 200 individual medley (15th place, 2:11.03), 200 breaststroke (17th, 2:24.72) and in the 400 IM (18th, 4:41.18).
Fries also swam on the fourth place 200 freestyle relay, and the fifth place 200 and 400 medley relays.
This is Nielsen's second consecutive first-team all-academic honor with the conference, and the first for Fries.
Earning inclusion on the Honor Roll from Western were
Demi Blaylock;
Sophia Del Rosario;
Elisa Elsberry;
Grace Gardner;
AvaMarie Hopewell;
Jaylen Lembas;
Sidney-Ann Morris;,
Joanna Swiderska;
Adessa Talbot;
Alexandra Wallis;
Amayah Warren; and
Madi Zach.
Colorado Mesa University's Ada Qunell was voted the women's swimming Academic Player of the Year.
