June 21, 2012

Four Teams Receive Public Recognition Award From NCAA

INDIANAPOLIS – The University of New Hampshire gymnastics, men’s hockey, men’s outdoor track & field and women’s indoor track & field teams have each been honored with a Public Recognition Award for demonstrating commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving top NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rates (APR) within their respective sports.

The 2012 NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program (APP) annually honors teams earning multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport. The Wildcat gymnastics team and the men’s ice hockey team both recorded perfect APRs of 1,000, while the men’s outdoor track & field team tallied a 997 and the women’s indoor track & field squad amassed a 995.

“Our student-athletes continue to make UNH proud because of their commitment to the academic mission,” Athletic Director Marty Scarano said. “While we historically rank nationally among all D1 institutions relative to APR and GSR rates we never take for granted the hard work of our staff, coaches and athletes for these accomplishments.”

Each year, the NCAA tracks the classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I team through the annual scorecard of academic achievement, known as APR. The score measures eligibility and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years.

The UNH gymnastics team, which garnered an APR Public Recognition Award for the third consecutive year, is one of only 16 Division I programs in the nation, one of only three New England schools (Brown, Yale) and one of only two East Atlantic Gymnastics League programs (Rutgers) to be feted.

The Wildcat men’s ice hockey team is one of just seven D-I programs nationally, including four in New England (Boston University, Brown, Dartmouth), and the only public hockey program nationally to garner the honor.

This marks the fifth straight year and sixth time in the last seven years the Wildcat men’s outdoor track & field team has received the award. UNH is the only New England public university to be recognized and is among 10 New England schools (Boston College, Boston University, Brown, Bryant, Dartmouth, Hartford, Harvard, Sacred Heart, Yale) to merit this prestigious distinction.

The women’s indoor track & field team, which is the lone New England public university program and the only America East squad to notch an APR Award, was recognized for the sixth time in seven years. UNH joins six other honored New England programs (Boston College, Holy Cross, Dartmouth, Harvard, Providence, Quinnipiac).

Top performing teams honored with a Public Recognition Award this year posted APR scores ranging from 978 to a perfect 1,000. Although not recognized as being in the top 10 percent of the respective sport, 12 other UNH teams recorded a score of better than 978 – that included women’s outdoor track (995), women’s skiing (994), women’s ice hockey (994) and women’s cross country (990).

Click here for the NCAA release.

View: Mobile | Desktop