CMU Captures Academic Award for Eighth Time

Aug. 24, 2005

MOUNT PLEASANT - While certain Central Michigan University teams have a strong tradition in the field of competition, Chippewa student-athletes have also built a dynasty when it comes to their academic accomplishments.

The Mid-American Conference announced on Wednesday that CMU has once again earned the Institutional Academic Achievement Award for the highest overall grade-point-average among student-athletes competing in MAC sponsored sports. It marks the fourth straight year CMU has been honored, as well as the eighth time in the last nine years.

CMU's 369 student-athletes in 16 different sports posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.066 during the 2004-05 academic year.

"This is an outstanding achievement by our student-athletes," Athletics Director Herb Deromedi said. "It's reflective of the quality of student-athletes that our coaches continue to recruit to our institution and the fine support system we offer our student-athletes under the leadership of Pat Podoll and Deb McAlpin."

Podoll, assistant athletics director for academics, and McAlpin, Life Skills program coordinator, provide advising and support for all student-athletes. They coordinate all these efforts from the 6,000-square-foot academic center in the Indoor Athletic Complex.

"This has become a tradition that our student-athletes are proud of upholding," Podoll said. "When our student-athletes bring recruits around, they always point out our success with this award when they are touring the academic area. It shows that they care about this award as much as the staff does.

"Not only are we proud of the student-athletes, but the coaches as well because they are able to recruit athletes who also value academics. We do our best to give each student-athlete the opportunity to be successful in both academics and athletics and it is up to the students to balance it out."

Three of the MAC schools tallied a GPA better than 3.00 last year.

MAC GPA Rankings

School	MAC Sports	Student Athletes	GPA
Akron	17	403	3.0385
Ball State	18	389	2.988
Bowling Green	17	365	2.93
Buffalo	19	423	2.895
Central Michigan	16	369	3.066
Eastern Michigan	20	412	3.031
Kent State	18	373	2.8605
Miami	17	428	2.95
Northern Illinois	17	426	2.985
Ohio	19	408	2.931
Toledo	16	338	2.930
Western Michigan	15	335	2.98

Previous Winners
1994-95 Bowling Green
1995-96 Bowling Green
1996-97 Central Michigan and Ball State
1997-98 Central Michigan
1998-99 Central Michigan
1999-00 Central Michigan
2000-01 Bowling Green
2001-02 Central Michigan
2002-03 Central Michigan
2003-04 Central Michigan
2004-05 Central Michigan

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