In what has become a growing trend, Daemen College student-athletes put forth a solid collective effort in the classroom in the Fall 2016 semester with more than 60 percent achieving grade-point-averages (GPA) of 3.0 or higher, director of athletics Bridget Niland has announced.
“We have set the goal of building an athletics program that helps our student-athletes become the very best versions of themselves in the classroom and on their chosen field of competition,” said Niland. “Our student-athletes continue to show that they bring more to the table than just athletic prowess. The ability to balance their academic workload with the commitment they’ve made to their coaches and teammates is a skill which transcends being a student-athlete, and one that will be applied in their post-college lives as the future leaders of our communities.”
Daemen, which sponsors 16 intercollegiate athletic programs with nearly 200 total student-athletes, saw the overall GPA for the entire student-athlete body rise to 3.11, representing a slight increase from the collective GPA of 3.06 achieved during the Spring 2016 semester. Overall, it marked the seventh consecutive semester that Daemen’s student-athletes have achieved a collective GPA over 3.0.
Breaking down the numbers even further, 12 of the 16 intercollegiate programs achieved team GPAs of 3.0 or higher. The men’s golf team (3.398) edged the women’s basketball team (3.390) for the highest GPA among teams.
In addition, 80 student-athletes achieved a GPA of 3.3 or higher, making themselves eligible for Dean’s List status, and seven student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA for the semester.
“We are extremely proud of the academic accomplishments of our student-athletes, who are excelling both in the classroom and on the playing fields,” said Daemen President Gary A. Olson. “Their high level of achievement reflects our commitment to the academic success and educational excellence of all our students.”