Cailey Simard Named MASCAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State's Cailey Simard has been named the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year as voted on by the eight athletic directors from around the conference.

The MASCAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year has been awarded annually since 1980 to a student-athlete who has excelled in both the classroom and field of play while maintaining at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average through their last year of athletic eligibility.

Simard is the the Bears' first MASCAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year since Amber White (2013-2014) and eighth in program history.

Cailey capped a memorable career with the Bridgewater State University women's swimming & diving team with more diving records and another trip to the NCAA Division Three Championships.

Cailey was also a standout in the classroom, finishing with a 3.911 undergraduate cumulative grade point average, graduating early and starting her graduate studies this spring semester.

As a senior, Cailey delivered one of the most historic and dominant seasons ever by a diver in BSU history, surpassing even her own remarkable standards and rewriting Little East Conference benchmarks.

During the regular season, Cailey was nearly unstoppable. She went undefeated in 1-meter diving (6 wins) and earning five victories on the 3-meter board with just one second-place finish.

Her consistency and excellence were recognized with five Little East Conference Diver of the Week honors. She also broke her own BSU records on both the one-meter and three-meter boards for a six-dive format, continuing to raise the bar she originally set.

At the 2026 Little East Conference Championships, Cailey swept both the one-meter and three-meter titles, earning All-Little East honors in each. She finishes her career an incredible four-for-four—undefeated across all four years at the LEC Championships and was named Little East Conference Diver of the Year every season.

Simply put, she is the most accomplished diver in school and conference history.

On the national stage, Cailey continued to make history.  She became the first female diver in program history to qualify for NCAA Division III Region Three Diving Championships four times. At regionals, she placed third on the one-meter board and 12th on three-meter, earning qualification to the NCAA Division III Championships for the second straight year. Cailey is the first female in program history, swimmer or diver, to achieve multiple NCAA Championship appearances.

Beyond her athletic excellence, Cailey has been equally outstanding in the classroom. A kinesiology major, she earned a perfect 4.0 during the Fall 2025 semester before graduating early and heading to graduate school. Cailey is working towards her masters in physical education with a concentration in coaching.

Simard was selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® One Division III Women's Swimming & Diving Team for the third straight year and was named as a First Team Scholar All-American by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) for the second consecutive season. She was also chosen as the Brigdewater State Dr. Adrian Tinsley Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

While excelling athletically and academically, Simard was also involved in several community service organizations including Morgan's Message and Special Olympics. She served for four year as a Morgan's Message representative. The organization's mission is to amplify stories, resources and expertise to strengthen student-athlete mental health, build a community by and for athletes through peer-to-peer conversations and provide a platform for advocacy. She also was a four-year volunteer for the Massachusetts Special Olympics South Sectional Aquatics Meet held at BSU's Moriarty Pool.

Cailey Simard is the definition of excellence -- historic in performance, relentless in pursuit, and elite in every aspect of the student-athlete experience.