Making the grade: UND student-athletes shine in the classroom

During a year in which a school-record 111 student-athletes earned academic all-conference honors–four were named ESPN the Magazine Academic All-Americans and two received NCAA postgraduate scholarships–the academic accomplishments continue to accumulate for UND student-athletes.

UND Director of Athletics Brian Faison announced today that UND’s 450-plus student-athletes combined for an astounding 3.161 cumulative grade point average during the 2009-10 season.

“Academic excellence has been a longtime hallmark of UND athletics and the 2009-10 season saw a continuance of that tradition,” said Faison. “Our coaches and student-athletes really do put the ‘student’ first in ‘student-athlete’ at UND.”

Thirteen of UND’s 18 teams achieved at least a 3.0 GPA, including all ten women’s teams. The Fighting Sioux women’s track and field team boasted the department’s highest GPA in 2009-10 at 3.452, followed closely by women’s golf (3.443), women’s swimming and diving (3.428) and women’s basketball (3.409).

UND’s 10 women’s teams combined for a 3.326 GPA in 2009-10. The top GPA among UND’s men’s teams belonged to the cross country team at 3.245.

During the spring 2010 semester alone, 14 of UND’s 18 teams achieved a 3.0. Three of the remaining four teams had at least a 2.88, including two that had a 2.9. At UND’s Academic Awards Night in February, 257 student-athletes – more than 60 percent of UND’s student-athlete population – were honored for achieving either a grade point average of at least 3.0 during the 2009 fall semester or a cumulative 3.0 GPA through the fall 2009 semester. The UND women’s basketball team boasted the 10th-highest GPA among Division I women’s basketball teams last season and was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll.

In addition to the numerous individual and team accolades achieved by UND student-athletes, the athletics academic services department received several enhancements during the past year. The George and Arlene Schubert Athletics Academic Center was dedicated in September 2009 and Amanda Kaler was hired as the department’s first full-time academic services coordinator in July 2010. Kaler joined director Amanda Neubauer on the full-time athletics academic services staff.

— Jayson Hajdu, director, Athletics Media Relations, 777-2985, jaysonhajdu@mail.und.edu.