St. John Fisher College athletics had a record-setting semester in the classroom. Over 400 student-athletes who participated in an NCAA Division III sport during the 2008-09 seasons) had a combined grade point average of 3.25 for the 2009 spring semester, breaking the old mark of 3.22, set last year.
Of the 14 athletic programs Fisher offers, nine teams (women’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s soccer, softball, women’s tennis, volleyball, women’s basketball, men’s soccer and football) had a team grade point average of 3.20 or higher and will be honored by the Empire 8 Conference.
Fisher’s five other teams (baseball, women’s lacrosse, men’s lacrosse, men’s basketball, and men’s golf,) did not earn the 3.2 GPA necessary to receive conference honors, but still performed admirably, with each team posting a GPA of 3.00 or higher.
Eighty-two of Fisher’s students-athletes will be named to the Empire 8 Conference President’s List for have a 3.75 or higher GPA.
“Our coaches do a great job of stressing to our student-athletes that academics are the highest priority,” says athletic director Bob Ward, who will be entering his 23rd year with the College this fall. “We want to win, but we equally the stress the importance of academic success as well as good, ethical behavior both on and off the field. I think these three components have made us what we are today.”