In an outstanding year both athletically and academically, 10 of 14 varsity sports teams at the University of Evansville earned academic awards from their national associations. Those teams will be recognized Wednesday night at the Ford Center during halftime of the men’s basketball game versus Bradley University.
As a group, the 250 student-athletes at UE compiled a grade point average of 3.26 on a 4.0 scale during the 2010-11 academic year, the most recent full school year.
The list of honored teams include:
The men’s cross country team, coached by Don Walters, earned Academic All-USA honors from the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for the sixth consecutive year by posting a 3.38 team GPA. The women’s cross country team, also coached by Walters, earned the Academic All-USA award for the 11th consecutive year with a 3.56 team GPA.
The men’s golf team, coached by Jim Hamilton, earned the Team Scholar award from the National Golf Coaches Association for compiling a 3.30 grade point average.
The women’s soccer team, coached by Krista McKendree, captured the Team Academic Award from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America for the fifth consecutive year with a team GPA of 3.24.
The women’s tennis team, coached by Nick Mueller, earned the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American Academic Team award for the 15th year, with a team grade point average of 3.52. It’s the longest stretch of consecutive national academic honors for a University of Evansville sport.
The men’s swimming and diving team, coached by Rickey Perkins, earned the Scholar All-America Team award from the College Swim Coaches Association by compiling a 3.30 GPA and is ranked 10th amongst Division I schools.
The women’s swimming and diving team, also coached by Perkins, ranked second nationally among Division I Scholar All-America Teams with a 3.59 team grade point average.
The volleyball team, coached by Mike Swan, earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the seventh time in the last eight years with a team GPA of 3.52.
The women’s basketball team, coached by Misty Murphy in 2010-2011, with Oties Epps taking over in late spring, earned a spot in the Women’s Basketball Association Academic Top 25 with a collective 3.34 grade point average. The honor marks the fourth time in the last six years in which the Lady Aces have been nationally ranked.
Coached by Mark Redburn, the softball team was recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for its academic achievements with a team GPA of 3.15.
In addition, the following student-athletes will be recognized for their outstanding performances in the classroom and earning individual academic recognition:
From the men’s golf team, Michael Sainz and Griffin Wood were named All-America Scholars by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Sainz, who completed his junior year in the spring of 2011, is a mechanical engineering major with a cumulative 3.28 grade point average. Wood, who entered his senior year this fall, is a management major with a 3.35 cumulative GPA.
Softball players Maggie Little and Halie Malone were named National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I All-America Scholar-Athletes for their achievements in the classroom last season. They both achieved a GPA of 3.50 or higher.
From the tennis team, Jessica Raatz was named to the ITA All-Academic Team for having a 3.20 or higher GPA.
Recent graduate Maggie Wood of the women’s golf team was selected to the National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team for Division I. Wood was also a two-time selection to the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete Team. Wood graduated in May with a 3.79 GPA in writing.
Men’s swimming and diving team member Colin Gray was named a men’s at-large Academic All-America Team member. At-large teams are arguably the most difficult Academic All-America teams to make because of the large number of athletes eligible for selection. Gray went into his senior year this past August with a perfect 4.0 GPA, majoring in mathematics. He spent the summer at North Carolina State University as part of the research experience for undergraduate program. Gray was UE’s fastest swimmer in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events.
