SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Sixty-five percent (343) of Slippery Rock University's 528 current NCAA Division II student-athletes attained at least a 3.0 grade point average, or the equivalent of a “B” grade, in their 2011 fall semester classes, according to a report released Monday by the SRU athletic office.
Sixty Rock student athletes, or 11 percent of the group, recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA, according to the report compiled by
Matt Meredith, SRU's athletic academic advisement coordinator and women's tennis coach. An additional 135 student-athletes (26 percent) had a GPA of 3.5 to 3.9 and 148 student-athletes (28 percent) had a GPA for 3.0 to 3.499.
A group of 92 student-athletes (17 percent) had GPAs in the 2.5 to 2.99 range, according to the report, and only 32 student athletes (6 percent) had a GPA under 2.0, or the equivalent of a “C” grade.
According to the report, the 3.103 overall GPA of the current group of Rock student-athletes surpassed the 3.012 overall GPA for the entire SRU student population.
The current group of Rock female student-athletes compiled a 3.37 cumulative GPA during the fall semester, according to the report, while male student athletes as a group had a 2.82 GPA. Those numbers compare to a cumulative GPA of 3.123 for all SRU female students and a 2.865 GPA for all male students.
“We take great pride in the academic performance of our student-athletes and strive to equal or surpass the average GPA of the overall student population at SRU,” said
Paul Lueken, SRU's director of athletics. “Our coaches are committed to not only excelling in athletic competition but also in the classroom.”
The 31-member women's field hockey team had the highest GPA among the 2011-12 Rock athletic teams with a 3.516 GPA. The seven-member women's tennis team compiled a 3.5 GPA, while the 28-member softball team had a 3.393 GPA.
Among the men's sports, the 72-member track and field program led the way with a 3.072 GPA, followed by the 29-member baseball program with a 2.961 GPA and the 12-member cross country team with a 2.926 GPA.
The cumulative GPAs of Rock student-athletes during their collegiate career also compare favorably to that of the overall SRU student population. Rock student-athletes currently have a 3.184 GPA, which is higher than the 3.083 cumulative GPA of all current SRU students, according to the report.
