ASU Senior Jonny Kulow Wins Elite Scholar-Athlete Award For Highest GPA At DI Men’s NCAA Champs

Arizona State senior Jonny Kulow is the recipient of the men’s Division I Elite Scholar-Athlete Award, given to athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average competing at the final site of each other 90 NCAA championships. Kulow majors in microbiology and has a 4.0 cumulative GPA.

To be eligible for the Elite Scholar-Athlete Award, formerly known as the Elite 90 Award from its inception in the 2009–10 academic year through 2026, athletes must have been members of their team for at least two years and be active participants in the championship competition. If there is a tie between multiple athletes, the one with the most completed credits wins the award.

Kulow is the third consecutive Arizona State swimmer to win the Elite 90 award, following now-graduated teammates Tiago Behar and Patrick Sammon, who claimed the honor in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Kulow is the eighth ASU athlete to be awarded this honor and the fourth swimmer.

Past ASU Winners:

• 2009-10 – Andy Workman (Baseball), Finance, 3.903
• 2012-13 – Bailey Wigness (Softball), Communication & Political Science, 4.00
• 2013-14 – Ianeta Hutchinson (Water Polo), Psychology, 4.00
• 2017-18 – Roberta Liti (Women’s Golf), Management/Business (Sports & Media Studies), 4.00
• 2023-24 – Lindsay Looney (Women’s Swim and Dive), Family and Human Development, MS, 4.00
• 2023-24 – Tiago Behar (Men’s Swim and Dive), Computer Science, 4.00
• 2024-25 — Patrick Sammon (Men’s Swim and Dive), Real Estate Development, 4.00

On Wednesday, Kulow helped the Sun Devils upset pre-meet favorites Florida in the 200 medley relay, with ASU touching first in 1:20.07, the second-fastest time in history. Kulow split 17.94 on the anchor leg. He also anchored ASU to eighth in the 800 free relay, splitting the second-quickest time on his team in a 1:31.88 as the Sun Devils finished in 6:08.71.

He is seeded 20th in Friday’s 50 free and 13th in the 100 free slated for Saturday, where he enters with season bests of 18.82 and 41.54.

Kulow is also expected to be a prominent leg on both the 200 and 400 free relays, where ASU enters as the heavy favorites. The Sun Devils are coming off setting an NCAA record in the 400 free relay at the Big 12 Championships, where they also became the second-fastest team in history in the 200 free relay, and currently lead the nation by just over a second in both events.

He may also feature on ASU’s 400 medley relay, where they enter as the top seed among a trio of sub-3:00 teams in ASU (2:57.48), Texas (2:57.54), and Florida (2:58.49), though his appearance there is less certain, as Remi Fabiani has been the team’s fastest 100 freestyler this season at 40.67.

Kulow has been a stalwart for the Sun Devils since arriving on campus in the fall of 2022. In his first NCAA Championships, he placed 11th in the 100 free (41.66) and 17th in the 50 free (19.05) with then-personal bests, and helped ASU take second in the 200 medley relay, third in the 400 free and 400 medley relays, and fifth in the 200 free relay as the team finished as the runner-up.

The following year, Kulow was part of the Sun Devils’ first-ever NCAA team title, finishing eighth in the 50 free (18.64) and 12th in the 100 free (41.40) with then-personal bests. He also contributed to relay wins in the 400 medley and 400 free, while helping the team take second in the 200 medley relay and third in the 200 free relay.

Last season proved to be the best meet of his collegiate career, as Kulow placed sixth in the 100 free (40.83) and seventh in the 50 free (18.56), both current personal bests, and helped the team to second in the 200 and 400 free relays, third in the 400 medley relay, and fourth in the 200 medley relay as the Sun Devils finished sixth overall.

ALL-TIME WINNERS, ELITE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD, NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING