Braves Send 19 To Academic Achievement List

CLEVELAND, Ohio – A total of 19 UNCP student-athletes were included among a distinguished list of 4,045 national honorees with the release of the NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards presented by WeatherPORT.

One hundred and sixteen institutions sent in nominees for the 2008-09 Academic Achievement Awards, up from the 67 institutions that participated last year. There are a total of 4,045 student-athletes being recognized this year. A year ago, 2,155 student-athletes were honored. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference had a record number 391 student-athletes honored, followed by the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) with 365 nominees.

The Peach Belt Conference – which was represented by eight schools – sent a total of 153 of its student-athletes to the list. USC Aiken sent a league-high 30 to the honor, Francis Marion and Georgia College each placed 27 on the list and UNCP ranked fourth with its total. Lander (16 honorees), Armstrong Atlantic (15), Augusta State (11) and Georgia Southwestern (8) rounded out the list of PBC institutions.

In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the individual must:
  - have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
  - have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work
  - have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year

"We are excited that we almost doubled the scholar-athletes that were nominated from a year ago and want to thank those colleges and universities that took part in honoring its student-athletes," stated Division II ADA President Ed Matejkovic, director of athletics at West Chester University. "We look forward to more participation in the future and want to congratulate this year's winners."

The DII ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors. For more information about the DII ADA, please visit www.div2ada.com.  The DII ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 45th year. For more information on NACDA and the 11 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.