COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – For the second consecutive year, the Tennessee Tech women’s soccer team is among those receiving Public Recognition Awards Wednesday from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for top academic performance. The awards are presented to teams scoring in the Top 10 percent nationally in the Multi-Year Academic Progress Rate (APR), which is part of the NCAA’s academic reform program.
“We continue to take a great deal of pride in the academic success of all our teams," said Mark Wilson, TTU Director of Athletics. "This latest news of the Public Recognition Awards for soccer, once again, shows that we are successfully fulfilling our mission toward our student-athletes. I want to congratulate Coach [Steve] Springthorpe, his staff and the student-athletes. Earning this award in back-to-back years speaks to the diligence of our student-athletes. Our students are prepared when they enter Tennessee Tech, and they are staying on track to earn their degrees.”
Golden Eagle soccer coach Steve Springthorpe was pleased to hear that his program had earned the Public Recognition Award for the second-straight year, and commented on how it aligns with the program’s ultimate goals.
“For our program, there are always two main focuses: we want our student-athletes to do well on the field and in the classroom,” Springthorpe said. “We’ve done well in the classroom, we are graduating players, we have a great GPA, and at the same time, we are able to retain student-athletes. To be recognized by the NCAA is an important honor for our team. It draws recognition to what is being done here at Tennessee Tech, the things we have in place that allow our teams to succeed, academically. We are excited about this recognition.”
The Golden Eagles are the only collegiate soccer team in the state, as well as the Ohio Valley Conference to achieve this recognition.
Each year, the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR). This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, the soccer team posted a multiyear APR in the top 10 percent of all squads in the sport.
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester or quarter 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.
The APR awards two points each term to student-athletes who meet academic eligibility standards and who remain with the institution. A team's APR is the total points earned by the team at a given time divided by the total points possible, multiplied by 1,000. It includes four years (this year's numbers included the school years of 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2013-14). High-performing teams receiving public recognition awards posted APR scores ranging from 980 to a perfect 1,000.
Tech was among seven OVC schools, which produced award winners in a sport.
"Our student-athletes have done a tremendous job, but credit should also go to the coaches, Dr. Lance Jasitt (assistant athletic director for academics and student welfare) and his staff, including Justin Hilliard, Ashlee Kiser and Virginia Lewis," Wilson said. "They have developed programs that provide support and direction, and allow our student-athletes to achieve at the highest levels."
A total of 289 schools placed at least one team on the top APR list, up 15 from 2014. The 1,124 teams publicly recognized for high achievement represent 696 women’s teams and 428 men’s or mixed squads, the highest ever in the decade since the NCAA began the Public Recognition Awards program. In 2014, 1,049 teams were recognized, marking an increase this year of 75 teams.
APRs for all Division I teams will be released May 27. The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams nationally. Teams must meet a certain academic threshold to qualify for the postseason and can face penalties for continued low academic performance.
