Chippewas Show Classroom Prowess
8/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 11, 2004
MOUNT PLEASANT -- After winning a school-record seven Mid-American Conference championships on the playing field, Central Michigan University proved it could do it too in the classroom by winning the MAC's Institutional Academic Achievement Award.
It marked the seventh time in eight years the MAC's top academic award has gone to CMU.
A total of 391 Chippewa student-athletes had a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.095.
The honor is presented to the MAC member that has the highest overall institutional GPA for student-athletes competing in MAC-sponsored sports.
This award comes on the heels of CMU winning a school-record seven MAC team championships in 2003-04 -- titles coming in men's cross country, gymnastics,wrestling, women's indoor track, softball, baseball and women's outdoor track.
"It's a strong statement for the type of student-athlete that we have at Central Michigan University," said CMU Director of Athletics Herb Deromedi. "To win seven championships in athletic competition and then to get the job done in the classroom shows a tremendous commitment on the part of our student-athletes.
"Part of that achievement should be shared by our coaches and our academic support staff."
Pat Podoll, an assistant athletic director in charge of academics, takes great pride in the academic achievement of the student-athletes.
"I'm most proud of the attitude of our student-athletes to do their best in the academic end of things," Podoll said. "It also shows the emphasis that the coaches put on academics."
CMU shared the award in 1996-97 and won it alone the next three years before Bowling Green ended the run in 2000-01. The Chippewas have now won three in a row.