INDIANAPOLIS – Fairmont State University has been named one of 22 finalists for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Award of Excellence.
 
Fairmont State was honored for the Fighting Falcons men's & women's swimming team's outreach to the Corridor Chapter of the Autism Society of West Virginia. The swimming team has been providing lessons for members of the local non-profit organization since 2016.
 
During the fall of 2022, 24 Fairmont State swimming student-athletes were paired with a child from a family that registered for the event. The Corridor Chapter of AS-WV met with the program at the end of August to educate the student-athletes about the learning styles of those with ASD and delivered tips on social interactions and communication to provide everyone involved with the best experience. The Fairmont State swimming student-athletes provided two one-hour lessons for four weeks in September to the children. The initiative empowered children with autism to be comfortable around the water and work on their swimming skills with Fairmont State swimmers. The mission of this partnership is to provide those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) an outlet for social acceptance and invaluable therapy to help enrich their quality of life.
 
Fairmont State is the winner of the Division II Award of Excellence for the Mountain East Conference and is a national finalist for the honor.
 
Per the national release, 22 Division II schools have been named finalists for the award. The finalists "exemplify the Division II philosophy, community engagement and student-athlete leadership."
 
The winner, runner-up and third-place honoree for the 2023 Division II Award of Excellence will be announced on January 14 during the Division II business session at the 2023 NCAA Convention in San Antonio.
 
For being named a finalist, Fairmont State will receive $500. The winner will receive $2,500, the first runner-up will receive $1,250 and the second runner-up will receive $1,000. All prize money is intended to be used for future SAAC initiatives or community engagement events.