ANDERSON, S.C. – Paced by the women's cross country team for a departmental-record seventh semester, Anderson University's student-athletes continue to post stellar academic marks, as they achieved an overall 3.23 grade point average at the conclusion of the fall semester, as has been announced by the department.
After setting departmental records for academic achievement for three consecutive semesters, Trojan student-athletes very nearly achieved their fourth straight record-breaking level of success.
The spring, 2015 semester saw the Black and Gold post a then-record 3.08 GPA and then surpass the mark by setting a 3.16 GPA as the new standard a year ago. Led by the women's tennis team for the sixth time in eight semesters, the Athletic Department's teams wrapped up the 2015-16 academic year with a record-setting 3.24 overall GPA.
After the tennis squad equaled women's cross country for the departmental-record sixth time last spring, the cross country team posted a 3.57 GPA for the fall, narrowly edging women's track and field for the latest honor within the department.
After reclaim the honor Women's cross country and this spring will be presented with the Dr. Shirley Jacks Award, which is given to the team that possesses the highest grade point average at the end of each semester. The women's cross country team also paced the department in both semesters of the 2008-09 academic year and for six semesters out of seven academic terms from 2008-2011.
"We are very proud of our student-athletes' academic accomplishments," said Director of Athletics Bill D'Andrea." "They have a lot of demands on their time and have to balance a very rigorous schedule – both academically and athletically. Our faculty, which does a tremendous job of working with our student-athletes, deserves credit for the increase, along with our coaches and of course our student-athletes themselves."
Nearly every team achieved at least a 3.0 GPA for the semester, with the overall 3.23 GPA for the athletic department coming in just shy of the 3.32 mark achieved by AU's traditional full-time undergraduate students.
