Newburgh, N.Y. – The NCAA Division III Philosophy states, in part, Colleges and universities in Division III place the highest priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of all students' academic programs. Three Mount Saint Mary College Women's Swimmers are living that philosophy as Shayla McCarroll (Clifton Park, N.Y.), Daley O'Keefe (Marlborough, Conn.) and Sophia Reinhardt (Port Ewen, N.Y.) earned their degrees from the Mount this past weekend and will then begin work on their Doctorate Degrees.
 
In the pool, the trio of swimmers made successful marks at Mount Saint Mary, helping the Knights to three straight runner-up finishes at the Skyline Conference Championship Meet. McCarroll earned Second Team All-Conference accolades in both the 100 and 200-yard backstroke events and won the 200-yard backstroke in 2019 on her way to being named First Team All-League in the event.
 
O'Keefe and Reinhardt also had impressive careers in the pool for the Knights, with O'Keefe posting seven top-10 finishes at the Skyline Conference Championship over a three-year career, with 2021's event lost due to Covid-19. O'Keefe's best finish at the championship came with third place showings in the 1,000-yard freestyle in both 2018 and 2019.
 
Reinhardt has scored five top-10 finishes for the Mount at the Skyline Conference Championship. Her career best finish came in the 200-yard backstroke for Knights in the 200-yard backstroke in 2019.
 
As expected, outside of the pool the trio was just as successful with each swimmer landing on the Skyline Conference Academic Honor Roll three times and was part of the Mount's first ever class of Chi Alpha Sigma.
 
McCarroll, who graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Mount Saint Mary, will begin pursuing her doctorate degree in Physical Therapy at Utica College starting June 21.
 
"I've always known I wanted to be a Physical Therapist. I was an athlete, I always got hurt and had to go to Physical Therapy. My mom is a Physical Therapist and I felt like it was just the best decision to go right into it."
 
McCarroll believes Mount Saint Mary has prepared her for the next step in her academic career by enhancing her already strong work ethic. "I've always had a strong work ethic, but Mount Saint Mary has made that grow."
 
Being a student-athlete also has had its advantages in moving towards her doctorate degree. "It taught me time management, because you have to juggle early morning practices and school work. It taught me that when you get work, just do it; don't wait."
 
Like McCarroll, O'Keefe will begin her doctorate degree work not long after her graduation from Mount Saint Mary.
 
O'Keefe, who chose the Mount in part for both its five-year and swimming programs, graduated this weekend with a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Master's in Education while also minoring in Hispanic Studies. She will begin her doctorate degree in August at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.
 
When asked how the Mount has prepared her for the next step O'Keefe stated, 'The science classes are definitely tough here, but the professors are easy to talk to and willing to help. I'm going to another small school like this, so I know it's going to be a similar experience."
 
O'Keefe, who wants to become a college professor, believes being a student-athlete has prepared her well for her doctorate journey starting in August. "It has absolutely prepared me when it comes to time management and being able to shove as much stuff into one day as possible."
 
She recalls that being able to work practice, including doubles, along with meets into her class schedule she was "forced to learn how to manage my time."
 
Reinhardt was also part of the five-year program at the Mount and recruited to swim for the Knights out of High School. "The swim team was a big pull and the five-year program was a great program that I could join."
 
Reinhardt completed here five-year work in four years and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and a Master of Science degree in Adolescent Education/Special Education. She will be moving on to begin her Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics Education at Columbia University Teachers College in the Fall of 2021.
 
Columbia was the only school Reinhardt applied to for her doctorate degree and felt that it "set you up to continue in education, not just the Math part of it."
 
Reinhardt also wants to move along to be a college professor and believes that the time management skills she acquired being a collegiate student-athlete will serve her well moving forward. "As a student-athlete in a sport that competes in both semesters, a majority of our time in school we have to balance everything."
 
She recalls after the conclusion of the season in her freshman year the amount of time she had on her hands without swimming. "It helps you create a schedule to be a productive college student and won't allow you to fall behind."
 
Another thing the trio has in common is that they were all a part of the Mount's first ever class of Chi Alpha Sigma, the first and only National Honor Society for Student-Athletes. To earn induction to the Chi Alpha Sigma, a student-athlete must be at least a junior academically and hold a 3.4 grade point average or better. 
 
"I think it's important to recognize, because I think people who can do both require a different skill set. If you weren't prepared to be passionate about both your school work and your sport, you would fall behind in one of them," said Reinhardt.
 
O'Keefe echoed that sentiment, "I love that was something that was brought to the school because being at a Division III school that's kind of what you're looking at; academics and athletics. Being able to bring a connection between the two of them in really amazing."
 
"I personally feel honored to be inducted into that," said McCarroll. "People don't understand how much hard work it takes to excel in both. It's an honor to have that recognition be accepted."
 
As the three swimmers move on to chart their own course, they each played a role in the other's process. Whether it being a sounding board, roommate, classmate or teammate.
 
"Daley was my number one sounding board," McCarroll recalls. "I was trying to decide between two different schools and asking what are the pros of this school, what are the cons? That was really helpful."
 
"It's very different fields we are all going in, but we were definitely there every step of the way checking in on each other," stated Reinhardt.
 
O'Keefe lives with McCarroll and was in the five-year program with Reinhardt. "We're all really close and we're all up there when it comes to academics. It's just something about this class that we're all really motivated to so well in everything that we do."