BOCA RATON, Fla. – Five teams from Florida Atlantic University have been recognized by the NCAA for having Academic Progress Rates (APR) in the top 10 percent nationally of their respective sports during the 2017-18 academic year.
Men’s cross country, softball and beach volleyball have earned the award two consecutive years and this year men’s golf and women’s tennis join the ranks.
“We were blessed on so many levels this year,” said beach volleyball head coach Capri Grotowski. “We were very gifted athletically and academically, but to cap the season off with an APR recognized as top 10 (percent) in the country is incredible. This team has raised the bar even higher for future Sandy Owls and for that, I am so thankful.”
“It’s a great accomplishment,” said softball head coach Joan Joyce. “We take pride in working hard in academics and holding our kids accountable in what they do in the classroom.”
“We’re so proud of our guys for this recognition,” said cross country and track field head coach Alex Smolka. “We stress academics along with results on the course and our guys have shown that with all of their hard work.”
“This award is attributed to a few things in my opinion,” said men’s golf head coach Ryan Jamison. “First and most importantly, our academic staff is one of the best in the country and plays a tremendous role in the success of our team. Secondly, our athletic staff has a tremendous role in keeping our students involved in the culture that is FAU. Last but not least, FAU is a wonderful place to be and this award speaks to the wonderful campus and surrounding areas.”
“Caroline (Wheelan, FAU assistant women’s tennis coach) and I are committed to guiding our team through what we consider growing years both intellectually and athletically,” said women’s tennis head coach Marcy Hora-Cova. “This accomplishment would not be possible without the incredible support of our athletic academic counselors.”
The NCAA recognized more than 1,300 programs from 321 schools for scoring in the top 10 percent of their sports.
The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams. It holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes, accounting for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete.
– FAUSports.com –
Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 CheriBundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
