ASU tennis, softball, soccer teams recognized by NCAA for academic achievement

The Arizona State tennis, softball and soccer teams have been recognized by the NCAA for recording an Academic Progress Rate (APR) in the top 10 percent nationally, the NCAA announced Thursday. The Sun Devil tennis team earned its seventh-straight score of 1000 (or 100 percent), while softball and soccer recorded scores of 997 and 998 respectively. Download Full Image

With seven-straight APR scores of a perfect 1,000, the NCAA has honored the ASU tennis team each year the measurement has been in existence (since 2003-2004).

"These sports that are honored today truly exemplify the essence of a student-athlete at the highest level," said Jean Boyd, associate athletic director for the Office of Student-Athlete Development (OSAD). "These teams and their coaches take pride in performing at the highest level, not only athletically, but also in the classroom."

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Jean Boyd selected as the 2012 Lan Hewlett Award
winner, considered the top honor in the profession

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Among Pac-12 schools, Arizona State is tied for second with USC and Washington for the most teams in the top 10 percent nationally. Only Stanford ranks higher than the Sun Devils.

"The hard work and dedication of the support staff, coaches and athletes is exemplified by Arizona State's presence in the top-tier, academically, in the Pac-12 Conference," said Steve Patterson, vice president for University Athletics. "These numbers only reiterate our commitment to academic excellence and producing successful graduates of Arizona State University."

Each year the NCAA honors select Division I teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear APR. This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams who demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, these teams posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport.

"The academic coaches and members of the Office of Student Athlete Development understand the rigors of life as a student-athlete," said Boyd. "Almost every staff member has had collegiate athletic experience. They understand navigating a difficult curriculum while trying to balance athletics and a social life. It lends credibility and validation to the message we are trying to impart."

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.

Multiyear APRs for all Division I teams, including the teams receiving public recognition, will be announced next week. Last year, Arizona State recorded its highest cumulative APR score since the NCAA started the measurement with 976, 39 points higher than ASU's initial score of 937 in 2003-2004.

Media contact:
Mark Brand
Sun Devil Athletics
480-965-6592
mark.brand@asu.edu