April 22, 2009

Indianapolis, IN – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced today that La Salle Women’s Basketball, Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Rowing and Women’s Track Indoor/Outdoor have all been honored with Division I Academic Performance Public Recognition Awards.

In order to be acknowledged with this prestigious award, teams must reach multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores in the top 10 percent of all teams in that certain sport. The APR was developed as a real-time assessment of a team's academic performance and reflects the eligibility, retention and graduation of scholarship student-athletes over a four year period.

Some recent achievements of note by La Salle student-athlete are:

Student-Athlete Award Winners:

Senior James Rossi (Joseph E. Crowley Award)

Senior Amy Grant, Women’s Soccer (De La Salle Service Award)

Senior Maria Allegretto, Field Hockey (2008-09 Academic Excellence Award)

Senior Andrew Bernhard, Men's Soccer (Male Scholar Athlete of the Year)

Senior Christa Plummer, Track/Cross Country (Female Scholar Athlete of the Year)

Team Awards:

Highest Women's Athletic Team GPA for Spring 2008 - Track (3.33)

Highest Men's Team GPA for Spring 2008 - Soccer (3.0)

Highest Men's Team GPA for Fall 2008 - Tennis (2.95)

2008-09 Academic Quick Facts:

- Field Hockey team earns top GPA in all of Division I

- Yves Mekongo Mbala (Men's Basketball) named ESPN The Magazine/Co-SIDA Academic All-American (as well as Academic All-Atlantic 10)

- Eight student-athletes named Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference

- Four student-athletes named to ESPN The Magazine/Co-SIDA Regional Academic All-America teams

- Nine student-athletes named to Philadelphia Inquirer/Philly-SIDA Academic All-Area teams

- Three teams were honored by their respective coaches associations for academic excellence

- Christa Dominick (Volleyball) earns NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship

- 202 Student-Athletes received the Faculty Athletics Council Academic Excellence Award for achieving a GPA of 3.25 or higher

- 110 Student-Athletes named to Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.5 or higher) in Fall 2008