Athletes Receive Awards for Academic Performance

Published: May 21, 2018 | Author: Kyle Birnbrauer | Read Time: 1 minutes

Gymnast and tennis player in actionSouthern Utah’s gymnastics and men’s tennis programs have earned Public Recognition Awards from the NCAA for academic performance. The awards were given out for the 2016-17 season.

They were recognized for scoring in the top 10 percent of their sports in the most recent Academic Progress Rates. The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams.  

“I applaud every program earning a Public Recognition Award this year for their commitment to going above and beyond to prepare students for life after college through academic achievement,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said. “To have nine national champions so far this year — including men’s and women’s basketball — be among those recognized illustrates that student-athletes succeed athletically and academically.”

In 2016-17, the Thunderbird gymnastics team also claimed the Academic National Championship for having the highest team GPA in the NCAA.  

The men’s tennis program has now received a Public Recognition Award for two-straight seasons.

APR scores for all Division I teams will be released May 23. The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or academic term and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in every sport. All teams must meet an academic threshold of 930 to qualify for the postseason and can face penalties for continued low academic performance.

The most recent APRs are multiyear rates based on scores from the 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years.

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