Hope College junior Elizabeth VandenBerg of Beverly Hills, Mich. has been named a first team GTE Academic All-American.

An All-American and national champion swimmer who majors in accounting, VandenBerg is one of 15 first team honorees in the women's college division Fall/Winter At-Large category which honors student-athletes in several sports from NCAA Division II/III and NAIA colleges throughout the United States.

The GTE Academic All-America program is sponsored by the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA).

VandenBerg becomes the 33rd GTE honoree from Hope since 1979 and just the second in swimming. The other GTE Academic All-American in swimming was Jeffrey Bannink (1992 & 1993).

This season, VandenBerg won the NCAA Division III national championship in the 200-yard breaststroke with a Division III record time and was third in the nation in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. She has been an NCAA All-American 15 times in her career.

VandenBerg is one of three student-athletes to be named GTE at-large Academic All-Americans. The others of Sarah Gritter of Calvin (cross country) and Marcus Boos of Kalamazoo (swimming).

She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack (Colleen) VandenBerg of Beverly Hills, Mich. She is a 1997 graduate of Southfield Christian High School.