June 6, 2013
NCAA Release | APR Public Recognition Awards
Bronx, N.Y. -
Five Fordham University athletic teams were among more than 950 Division I squads to be publicly recognized by the NCAA for their latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, posting multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. Additionally, Fordham was recognized as just one of 61 NCAA Division I programs, and one of four Atlantic 10 schools, that have one or more teams that have won eight awards in a row.
The public recognition awards are part of the broad Division I academic reform effort. The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.
Being honored for the Rams are Men's Swimming and Diving, Men's Indoor Track and Field, Men's Outdoor Track and Field, Women's Indoor Track and Field, and Women's Tennis. Women's Indoor Track and Field and Women's Tennis have all been honored in each of the eight years the NCAA has released the scores while the Men's Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field programs are recognized for the fourth time as is the Men's Swimming & Diving program.
"Being one of 61 NCAA Division I programs that have had a team honored in each of the eight years the NCAA has been compiling APR scores is a tremendous accomplishment," said Director of Athletics, David Roach. "These awards speak volumes about the dedication Fordham student-athletes display, both on the field of competition and in the classroom. We are extremely proud and thankful for these student-athletes, their coaches and the academic support staff."
The NCAA honors are the latest academic accolades bestowed upon Fordham student-athletes. In 2012-2013, three student-athletes
Michele Daubman (Softball),
Brendan Melanophy (Football and>
Patrick Murray (Football) were all named Capital One Academic All-District while Murray was also awarded a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and was named to the NCAA FCS Academic All-Star Team. Melanophy was also named Academic All-Patriot League for football while
Nicole Arrato (Rowing),
Sean Collins (Indoor Track & Field),
Michele Daubman (Softball),
Kevin Fitzgerald (Outdoor Track & Field) and
Brienne Ryan (Women's Swimming) were all named Academic All-Atlantic 10. Additionally, eight members of the Fordham rowing program (Jenn Amaroso,
Nicole Arrato,
MariaLuisa Capuano,
Tecla Di Francesco,
Megan Feerick,
Rachel Sortino,
Jillian Stackman and
Megan Sullivan) were named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholar-Athletes, four water polo student-athletes (Daniel Kearney,
Patrick Lenihan,
Bobby Wurtz and
Davis DeFontes) were honored with Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches All-Academic awards and were also named to the Collegiate Water Polo Association Varsity Scholar Athlete Team.
In the fall, 30 football student-athletes were named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll (the most among all League football schools), 144 student-athletes were named to the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the fall semester (tops among the 16 conference schools and an all-time high for Fordham) and 345 student-athletes were honored at the 2013 Breakfast for Champions for compiling a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher. The 345 student-athletes honored represented over 64% of the student-athletes at Fordham and is the largest number of student-athletes to attend a Breakfast for Champions.
In team awards, the men's and women's cross country teams were honored by the USTFCCCA as Division I All-Academic Cross Country Teams and the men's and women's swimming teams received College Swimming Coaches Association of America Scholar All America Team status for the ninth straight year.
The 976 teams publicly recognized by the NCAA for high achievement represent 594 women's teams and 382 men's or mixed squads. Top performing APRs this year ranged from 978 to a perfect 1,000, with the majority of teams earning a perfect APR.
The Atlantic 10 ranked fourth in number of teams recognized among 32 Division I leagues. The NCAA will release this year's full APR report, with the most recent data on June 11. In last year's report, the A-10 ranked third among all conferences. The league also ranked second in the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate, which was released last fall.
"We are proud that as a conference we are among the nation's elite in academics, both from the standpoint of the strength of our schools and the dedication of our student-athletes," stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette McGlade. "Academic strength is one of our core values and to have 54 teams publicly recognized is a prime example of those values. I congratulate each of these teams, and each of our institutions on their commitments to academic success."
Every Atlantic 10 sport had at least one team receive public recognition. Women's tennis had the most teams of any sport on the NCAA list with seven. There were five women's cross country teams honored and four other sports (men's tennis, men's indoor track & field, men's outdoor track & field and women's outdoor track & field) with four teams represented.
Each year, the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (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 NCAA's quintessential student-athlete exhibits dedication and commitment both on the playing field and in the classroom," said NCAA President Mark Emmert. "These teams and programs truly embody the overall values of the NCAA, and have exceeded standards to post fantastic academic scores. We are delighted by such a clear example of our membership's commitment to providing well-rounded experiences to student-athletes."
