May 17, 2018
Indianapolis, Ind.-Four San José State University athletics teams are recipients of an NCAA Public Recognition Award for academic success based on the Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores for the 2016-17 school year according to data released by the NCAA.
The men's cross country team, women's golf, women's gymnastics and women's beach volleyball programs earned the maximum possible multi-year score of 1,000 to earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award given to schools with programs than rank in the top-10 percent of their respective sports.
SPARTANS REALIZING SOLID YEAR ON MANY ACADEMIC FRONTS
"Today's news on the NCAA's APR awards reinforces that our student-athletes are succeeding and achieving academically on their way to earning their bachelor's degree," says San Jose State University director of athletics Marie Tuite. "In recent weeks, we announced department record numbers for the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars Program, had more than 60 honorees at the University's annual Honors Convocation for the second year in a row, and now, celebrate our teams that earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards.
"These teams, coaches and academic staff members worked as a team to earn these awards. We are very proud of their commitment to academics, one of our core values.
"And, we are proud to share the distinction for most NCAA Public Recognition Awards among the California State University system's nine schools that sponsor Division I intercollegiate athletics and being tied for third among Mountain West institutions for number of Public Recognition Awards this year."
First implemented in 2003, the APR provides a real-time measurement of a team's academic success each semester by tracking scholarship student-athletes in the areas of eligibility, retention and graduation. A score of 930 out of 1,000 projects to a 50 percent graduation rate.
More than 1,200 NCAA Division I teams from 312 schools earned a 2018 Public Recognition Award. The most recent APR multi-year scores are based on the four-year period that includes the 2014 through 2017 academic years.
PROUD HEAD COACHES
For the San José State men's cross country program, it is the third consecutive year to be named a Public Recognition Award Winner and the four time overall.
"The award speaks of the quality of student-athletes we have had through the program the past five years," said Brad Wick, the Spartan men's and women's cross country coach.
Women's golf and women's gymnastics won for the second consecutive year. This is the fifth honor for the women's golf program and sixth for the women's gymnastics program.
"I am proud that, once again, we can achieve success not only in the gym but in the classroom as well," said women's gymnastics head coach Wayne Wright. The Spartans won back-to-back Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships this year.
"Our student athletes, in conjunction with our academic advisor Matheo Hurtado and the coaches, work diligently to ensure academic success within our program. We take great pride in our graduation rate and overall academic success," said Spartan women's golf coach John Dormann.
Beach volleyball received their first recognition since the program began in 2014. The Spartans won a program-best 10 duals this past season.
"I am pround and thankful to have the opportunity to lead such motivated and professional student-athletes. This shows that we don't have to choose between being a good student or being a good player. We can be both," said beach volleyball head coach Aaron Shepardson.
APR scores for all 20 San José State University Division I athletics programs will be released May 23.