RICHARDSON, Texas - The Lone Star Conference announced their Academic Excellence Awards presented by Balfour and Individual Sport Academic Champions List. Topping the list with three individual men's sports champions were the Mustangs of Western New Mexico University. The Mustangs earned top GPAs in football (2.780), men's outdoor track and field (3.356) and men's golf (3.815).
"Achieving top GPAs across multiple sports is a testament to our student-athletes' commitment to excellence both on and off the field." said Executive Director of Athletics, Scott Noble. "Our student-athletes taking advantage of resources such as academic advising, tutoring, and study facilities, allow them to thrive academically and demonstrates that academic success and athletic excellence are not mutually exclusive, but rather, they complement and reinforce each other."
"Additionally, our coaches' dedication to recruiting individuals who embody the values of our University has been crucial. They seek out student-athletes who not only excel in their sport but also prioritize their education," Noble added.
The award winners were determined by a point system, with points distributed according to finish in sports sponsored the LSC sport after a conference-wide comparison of team GPAs. The member institution with the highest team GPA in each sport was named the Sport Academic Champion and earned five (5) points toward the overall award. The runner-up in each sport picked up four (4) points and third-place three (3) points toward the overall award. Any program with a Team GPA of 2.00 and above earned one (1) point. Points for each member institution were totaled by gender and then divided by that institution's number of counter programs in that gender to arrive at the comparison value.
St. Mary's University and Texas Woman's University claimed the 11th annual Lone Star Conference Academic Excellence Awards presented by Balfour.
St. Mary's earned the men's honor for the third consecutive year, and Texas Woman's captured its second straight women's award as the athletic departments with the highest collective team grade-point average (GPA) for the 2023-24 academic year. The Rattlers and Pioneers will each receive a cash reward and custom trophy.
For a complete list of all LSC individual sport champions
click here
This announcement is presented by First American Bank. First American Bank is a proud supporter of WNMU Athletics!
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Western New Mexico University is a member of the NCAA Division II, and the Lone Star Conference (LSC). For additional information regarding Mustang Athletics, visit www.wnmumustangs.com; visit wnmu.edu for more information about Western New Mexico University. Follow the Mustangs on social media: @WNMUathletics (Twitter, TikTok & Instagram).
