Alex Liang Named Pac-12 Men’s Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year

SAN FRANCISCO – STANFORD senior Alex Liang has been named the Pac-12 Men’s Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today. The award, which is presented in each of the 24 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline.

Liang, a freestyle, butterfly and individual medley swimmer from Palo Alto, Calif., is majoring in economics and holds a cumulative 3.59 GPA. Liang received the Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention as a sophomore in 2018. The senior was also Pac-12’s all-academic selection in 2019 and 2020 and was twice named a Scholar All-American by the CSCAA (2018, 2020). 

As a three-time All-American entering the 2020-21 season, Liang has received titles in 400 IM (2019- 15th; 2020), 800 free relay (2019- 12th). As a junior, Liang was also 2020 Pac-12 Champion in the 400 medley relay in 2020 (3:06.81) and ranks in the top 10 in the 400 IM and 200 fly on the Stanford record book.The senior ranks third all-time at Stanford in the 400 IM (3:42.19) and seventh all-time at Stanford in the 200 fly (1:42.74). 

In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport’s regular season. The athletics accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in voting for the award.

A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-12’s 24 sponsored sports: baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s track & field, women’s track & field, women’s volleyball, and wrestling. The award was first established during the 2007-08 academic year.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

• 2020: Henry Fusaro, USC
• 2019: Matt Anderson, Stanford
• 2018: Pawel Furtek, USC
• 2017: Ryan Murphy, California
• 2016: Gray Umbach, Stanford
• 2015: Kevin Cordes, Arizona
• 2014: Giles Smith, Arizona
• 2013: Alex Ledrum, USC
• 2012: Bobby Bollier, Stanford
• 2011: Nathan Adrian, California
• 2010: David Dunford, Stanford
• 2009: Jason Dunford, Stanford