Eastern Kentucky University student-athletes set new program records in the classroom this past fall, posting the highest combined fall grade-point-average ever (3.128) and compiling a record 56 individual 4.0 GPAs.
More than 300 Eastern Kentucky student-athletes combined for a GPA of 3.0 or better for the 12th straight semester. That’s a period of six straight years.
In addition to being the highest fall GPA ever, the cumulative GPA for EKU student-athletes in the fall of 2017 of 3.128 was the second highest GPA on record for any semester.
Thirteen of 15 athletic teams posted a cumulative GPA above 3.0. Overall 226 student-athletes, or 67.87 percent, ended the semester with a GPA of 3.0 or above.
“I can’t even fully put into words how impressed I am with the work of our student-athletes in the classroom this past fall semester,” Director of Athletics Stephen Lochmueller said. “Academics is our first core mission. It is always our top priority. But our student-athletes took it to a new level in the fall, and I congratulate them.”
The soccer team, while advancing to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament finals for the second straight year, accumulated a 3.703 GPA, its highest GPA of any semester ever and the second highest team GPA by any team during any semester since 2005.
The men’s indoor/outdoor track team compiled a 3.058 GPA, its highest fall GPA ever. The women’s basketball team’s 3.21 GPA was the program’s third highest ever. The football team’s 2.698 GPA was the second-highest fall team GPA ever.
“I want to also recognize the outstanding work of the staff in the Chad Bratzke Student-Athlete Academic Success Center,” Lochmueller said. “These numbers are a reflection of the dedication and hard work of Monika Banbel and her team as well.”
The other teams compiling a 3.0 or better cumulative GPA include baseball (3.238), men’s cross country (3.189), women’s cross country (3.293), men’s golf (3.396), women’s golf (3.321), softball (3.457), men’s tennis (3.43), women’s tennis (3.593), women’s indoor/outdoor track (3.203) and volleyball (3.365).
The 2.958 combined GPA by Eastern’s male student-athletes is the second-highest for the fall semester ever. EKU’s female student-athletes posted a 3.392 GPA this past fall.
In competition, Eastern claimed two OVC championships during the fall 2017 semester.