Sports and Smarts

SSU Student-Athletes Earn Highest GPA in School's History
July 14, 2015
Angelique Lopez running with the baton at a track meet

Angelique Lopez helped the women's track and field team lead all SSU athletic programs with a 3.348 cumulative GPA in 2014-15.

Sonoma State University student-athletes recorded the highest grade point average in the school's athletics history in 2014-15 academic year. The 290 student-athletes combined to earn a 3.037 GPA, with 55 Seawolves earning All-Academic honors.

"Our top priority has always been academic excellence," said Bill Fusco, senior director of intercollegiate athletics at SSU. "To see the unprecedented effort put forth by our student-athletes this past year is quite impressive. We are extremely proud of their individual and collective efforts to not only excel in competition, but to excel in the classroom as well."

The 3.037 GPA eclipses the previous record of 3.034 set during the 2009-10 academic year, as well as the 3.030 earned in 2013-14.

In addition, 32 other student-athletes that were not eligible for conference awards earned academic distinction from the university for having a GPA of 3.50 or higher. The total of 87 Seawolves earning academic honors is a sharp increase from last year's tally of 74.

The California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) placed 40 Seawolves on its All-Academic teams (3.30 GPA) throughout the year, the Pacific West Conference (PacWest) named 10 men's and women's tennis student-athletes to its Honor Roll (3.00 GPA), and the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) recognized five women's water polo student-athletes for their academic excellence (3.20 GPA).

Student athlete GPA statistics:
• 56.9 percent earned a 3.00 GPA or higher
• 25.2 percent earned a 3.50 GPA or higher
• 10.3 percent earned a 3.75 GPA or higher
• 4.8 percent earned a 3.90 GPA or higher

Sports programs with cumulative GPAs of 3.00 or higher for 2014-15:
• Women's Track & Field (3.348)
• Women's Cross Country (3.340) 
• Men's Tennis (3.289)
• Softball (3.239)
• Women's Golf (3.193)
• Women's Volleyball (3.121)
• Women's Water Polo (3.116) 
• Women's Soccer (3.057)
• Men's Golf (3.025)

The full list of award-winning student-athletes is available at http://sonomaseawolves.com/news/2015/7/7/GEN_0707152846.aspx