CHICAGO – University of Chicago swimmer John Paul Phillips received a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship at the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year.
The NCAA distributes up to 126 postgraduate scholarships annually across the three sports seasons (fall, winter, and spring). Student-athletes can utilize the $10,000 award towards their current or future graduate degree programs. Evaluation criteria includes athletic and academic excellence, community service, campus involvement, demonstrated leadership and volunteer activities.
Phillips produced the best results of his career in the 2022-23 season. The first-year graduate student swam on the men’s 400-yard medley relay team that placed third overall at the NCAA Division III Championships. Individually, he earned an additional All-American honor by placing 14th in the 200-yard backstroke. Phillips’ efforts helped the Maroon men achieve their highest team placing ever at the national meet with a third-place trophy.
Over the course of his intercollegiate career, Phillips earned three All-American honors and six All-University Athletic Association (UAA) accolades. He was a four-time NCAA national qualifier, including three times in the 200-yard backstroke.
Phillips will be entering his second year pursuing a Ph.D. in Medical Physics at UChicago this fall.
The Maroon team captain also held other leadership positions on campus. He was President of the Order of the “C” (2020-22) as well as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (2021-22). The OOC is the oldest varsity lettermen’s group in the nation.
On the academic recognition side, Phillips was named a First Team Scholar All-American twice and Honorable Mention Scholar All-American once by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). He was a four-time UAA All-Academic Team honoree and earned 2023 Academic All-District status from the College Sports Communicators (CSC).
Phillips has spent 2.5 years as a research assistant in UChicago’s medical physics lab. He was also an ORISE Summer Fellow at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where he led development of a web application for data collection in a multi-year study.