The Morehead State University women's cross country team is among the nearly 800 Division I sports teams being recognized for top academic performance as part of the NCAA's academic reform program. Based on its most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rate, the women's cross country squad has earned an NCAA Public Recognition Award.
“Academics are at the forefront of our efforts within the athletics department at MSU,” Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Brian Hutchinson said. “We are very proud of the status of our women's cross country team. They stand out as a group for all our teams to emulate.”
These awards are given each year to teams scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport with their APRs. The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester or quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.
“High-performing teams receiving public recognition awards this year posted APR scores ranging from 976 to a perfect 1,000,” said NCAA President Myles Brand. “The vast majority of sports teams are performing very well academically and exceeding the 925 threshold for their APR scores. Nearly 800 of these teams are worthy of special attention, and I commend them for their excellence in academics and athletics.”
The 767 teams publicly recognized this year for high achievement represent 11.9 percent of the approximately 6,484 Division I teams. The list includes 448 women's teams and 319 men's or mixed squads. A total of 205 institutions, out of 331 Division I colleges and universities, placed at least one team on the top APR list.
Multi-year APR scores for all Division I sports teams, including the teams receiving public recognition awards, will be announced May 6. The announcement also will include immediate and historical penalties for low-performing teams.
The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years.