ELMHURST, Ill. – One dozen Summit League teams were bestowed with the NCAA Public Recognition Award, an honor given to teams whose most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR) are among the top 10 percent in each sport. This season’s awards are based on 2011-12 figures.
North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Western Illinois each paced the league with two squads on the list. Fort Wayne, IUPUI, Oakland and South Dakota along with affiliate member Eastern Illinois and former member Oral Roberts were also represented.
Institutions receive a congratulatory letter from the NCAA for their honored squad(s). The following teams were recognized for their 2011-12 figures:
North Dakota State (2): Men’s Golf,
Women’s Golf
South Dakota State (2): Women’s Basketball,
Women’s Tennis
Western Illinois (2): Women’s Tennis,
Volleyball
Fort Wayne (1): Women’s Golf
IUPUI (1): Men’s Tennis
Oakland (1): Women’s Basketball
South Dakota (1): Men’s Golf
Eastern Illinois (1): Men’s Swimming
Oral Roberts (1): Women’s Cross Country
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.
A total of 976 NCAA Division I teams earned Public Recognition Awards this year for high achievement, including 594 women's teams and 382 men's or mixed squads. Last year, 954 teams were recognized.
The official NCAA release and a complete list of honored teams can be found here.
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