Saluki student-athletes post top marks in the classroom
06/07/2007 | 12:00:00 | General
June 7, 2007
CARBONDALE, Ill. - A banner year of athletic competition at Southern Illinois University netted four conference championships and a runner-up finish in the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Trophy standings.
Equally impressive, though, were the academic marks the school's student-athletes returned in the spring semester.
The average grade point average for all student-athletes at SIU in the spring was a school-record 3.01. That raised the cumulative GPA for all student-athletes to a record-high 3.00.
Ten of SIU's 18 sports had a team GPA of 3.0 or better, led by the softball team, which recorded a team GPA of 3.54.
"These are marvelous results and demonstrate a remarkable discipline by our student-athletes to achieve success in all aspects of university life," said Saluki Director of Athletics Mario Moccia. "I'm also proud of our coaches and academic staff for helping to facilitate academic excellence."
Fifty-seven percent of Saluki student-athletes recorded a 3.0 or better GPA in the spring. The majority of Salukis -- 54 percent to be exact -- have a cumulative GPA above 3.0.
"I am very excited about the achievements of our student-athletes in the classroom," said Kristina Therriault, Assistant AD and director of student services. "We are very proud of the commitment that our student-athletes, coaches, administration and athletic staff have made to academics."
