FGCU’s student-athletes again proved they are as committed to hitting the books as they are to scoring points, racking up a record-tying 3.33 cumulative GPA for the spring semester and 3.28 for the year. They exceeded the overall undergraduate GPA — 3.07 this spring — for the 12th-consecutive semester.
Individually, 19 Eagles finished with a 4.0 GPAs for the semester, representing nearly 10 percent of all student-athletes with perfect grades. Among the 233 student-athletes, 44 percent achieved a 3.5 or higher for the year.
Their academic accomplishments were achieved while winning nine Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season or tournament championships in 2014-15. The Eagles also claimed the A-Sun All-Sports Championship for the second time in three years.
“We are exceptionally proud of our student-athletes for the exemplary effort they continue to put forth in the classroom, while also succeeding in their competitions and serving as role models throughout the local communities,” said Director of Athletics Ken Kavanagh. “Their devotion to excellence is a source of pride for not only FGCU Athletics, but for the entire university. Likewise, we continue to be very appreciative of the tremendous roles that our outstanding faculty, Kelly Jean Brock and our academic advisers and coaching staffs play in the overall equation.”
Additionally, 148 student-athletes were named to the A-Sun’s All-Academic Champions list by holding a 3.0 GPA or higher. That figure represents 64 percent of Eagles in A-Sun-sponsored sports. However, the list does not include the swimming and diving program, which competes in the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association. Through another successful season, 89 percent of FGCU’s swimmers and divers achieved the mark required to be an A-Sun Academic Champion, increasing the total to 74 percent of FGCU’s overall student-athlete population.
“The continued academic successes speak to the type of student-athletes our coaches recruit and the expectations they create for them in and out of their competitions,” said Brock, Assistant Athletics Director and Director of the Student-Athlete Learning Center. “With support from Undergraduate Studies and the Athletics Department, our student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom and set the bar high for future Eagles.”
Leading the latest impressive term was the eight-member women’s golf team, which posted a remarkable 3.81 GPA for the semester.
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