RedHawks score well in the classroom

During the 2011 spring semester, Miami University student-athletes finished with a 3.11 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale), right on par with Miami's general student body, which also compiled a 3.11 GPA. During the 2010 fall semester, athletes earned a 3.08 GPA, marking 13 straight semesters that RedHawk student-athletes earned above a 3.0 GPA.

"It starts with recruitment. The coaches recruit student-athletes who care about both being a student earning a degree and competing," said Elysa Appel, academic coordinator/learning specialist for student-athlete academic support services (SAASS).

SAASS is a branch of the Rinella Learning Center at Miami. It offers such programs as the tutorial assistants program, supplemental instruction and the academic coaching program, all designed with student-athletes in mind.

Men's cross country/track and field head coach Warren Mandrell, who's cross country team posted a 3.57 GPA during the spring, agreed with Appel.

"We make sure we get some good kids. We know if they are academically focused in high school and you recruit them, they will likely continue while they are with the program," he said.

"It is a collaborative effort between us [SAASS], coaches, athletes and administrators," Appel added.

Most impressively, 17 student-athletes made the "Straight A Team" by earning a perfect 4.0 GPA and a spot on the President's List. In addition, 114 RedHawks made the Dean's List by having between a 3.50 and 3.99 GPA during the semester while nearly 60 percent of all student-athletes made the Honor Roll by at least having a 3.0.

This spring, the RedHawk women earned bragging rights over the general female student body with a 3.26 GPA compared to a 3.22 GPA for all women at Miami during the semester. On the men's side, male athletes totaled a 2.91 GPA, just shy of the 2.99 GPA that all men at Miami compiled spring semester. The two most distinguished teams this semester were Mandrell's men's cross country team (3.57 GPA) and the women's cross country team, which garnered a 3.47 GPA.

The men's cross country team, men's golf and softball recently won public recognition awards for scoring in the top 10 percent nationally in their NCAA sport for their Academic Progress Rate. It was softball's first award, cross country's fifth, and golf's sixth.