118 HU athletes named to Athletic Honor Roll

One hundred eighteen Forester student-athletes were recognized for their success in the classroom Sunday afternoon at the 11th annual Huntington University Athletic Honor Roll Ceremony. Today’s 118 honorees is a new record and represents more than a third of the total number of HU student-athletes.

“What a privilege to celebrate the success of 118 of our best and brightest student-athletes,” said HU athletic director Lori Culler. “Not only do they compete at a high level on the playing field, but they strive to use their God-given talents in the classroom and on our campus as well.

“They truly exemplify all we envision our student-athletes to be.”

Eleven student-athletes have been members of the honor roll all four years. Of the 118 students honored today, 26 are also eligible for induction into Chi Alpha Sigma, a national honor society that recognizes collegiate athletes who have excelled both on and off the field.

In order to be named to the HU athletic honor roll, athletes must carry a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5.

The academic success of Forester student-athletes is well documented. Over the last five years, 52 percent of HU athletes have achieved a cumulative GPA equal to or higher than the overall student body’s cumulative grade point average. Additionally, juniors and seniors have earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades 329 times.

In addition to honoring individuals for their academic prowess, Culler also praised the long-standing tradition of classroom success of teams. Over the last five years, 84 percent of HU athletic teams’ GPAs have been above a 3.0.

Each year the Team Academic Excellence Award is presented to the team with the highest GPA. Last year, the women’s cross country team claimed the highest GPA of 3.54. Women’s tennis was second with a 3.49 GPA while women’s soccer finished third with a GPA of 3.47.