Four UE Sports Receive APR Public Recognition Award

Four University of Evansville sports were honored by the NCAA for earning Public Recognition Awards based on their multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR).

Among the sports included in the NCAA’s recognition were the Purple Aces women’s cross country team, the women’s golf squad, UE’s women’s tennis team and Evansville volleyball. All awards are for the 2011-12 season.

Both the women’s golf and cross country teams received recognition for the fourth year in a row. The UE women’s cross country team posted the second-highest team GPA last year as they checked in with a 3.605.

“Our girls know that they are supposed to be #1 and they have done a great job of keeping that up,” cross country coach Don Walters said. “Academics are tops at UE and when one of our girls is not on their game academically, someone else is always there to pick them up. I am proud of what our team does year in and year out.”

Head golf coach Jim Hamilton also helped lead his women’s team to recognition for the fourth time in as many years.

“It is a great honor to receive this recognition for the fourth year in a row,” Hamilton said. “Our team did an excellent job of performing on the course and in the classroom. I am very proud of our girls for this accomplishment.”

Evansville’s volleyball team recorded the top GPA out of all of the school’s athletic programs last year as they finished with a 3.618 to receive recognition for the second time with the other coming in 2008-09. The team received AVCA recognition as three players (Ashley Ring, Rachel TenHoor and Ellen Sawin) finished the year with GPA’s above 3.90. Finishing with a 3.476 was the women’s tennis team. It marked the third team honor and first since the 2005-06 school year.

Each year, the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR). This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, these teams posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport.