Three Saluki teams recognized by NCAA
09/21/2011 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 21, 2011
By Bill Ford
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Three Southern Illinois Athletics teams have received the NCAA Public Recognition Award based on their exemplary Academic Progress Rates.
The Saluki men's cross country, softball, and volleyball teams all received the honor for having APRs in the top 10 percent of all Division I squads in their respective sports.
"Having three of our teams receive this honor is a testament to the importance Saluki Athletics places on making sure our student-athletes are succeeding in the classroom and progressing toward their degrees," said SIU Director of Athletics Mario Moccia.
The Academic Progress Rate is an annual scorecard of academic achievement the NCAA uses to track the classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I sports team. The most recent APR scores are multi-year rates based on the scores from the 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.
The Saluki men's cross country and volleyball teams both had perfect APRs of 1,000 while softball posted a rate of 996. SIU was one of five Missouri Valley Conference schools to have at least three teams receive the Public Recognition Award along with Bradley, Creighton, Evansville and Drake. The NCAA recognized 909 teams across all of Division I with the award.
SIU hasn't had as many teams recognized with the award since it had four following the 2004-05 academic year, the first year the NCAA began its academic reform program. The SIU softball team has received the award five out of the six years since the program's inception.