MACON, GA. - - For the sixth time in its seven year history as an Atlantic Sun Conference member institution Belmont University has earned the conference's All-Academic Trophy, the league office announced Friday.

Further cementing its reputation for achieving athletic and academic success, Belmont saw an astounding 161 of its 229 student-athletes receive All-Academic honors. Consequently, Belmont established a new conference standard for percentage of its student-athletes reaching All-Academic status at 70.31 percent.

For the second straight semester, all 17 of Belmont's intercollegiate teams of competition registered grade point averages (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. In fact, BU has enjoyed a departmental GPA of 3.0 or higher for a remarkable 21 consecutive semesters.
Belmont's spring 2008 GPA of 3.303 represents the school's highest since becoming an NCAA Division-I member institution in 1997-98.

This past fall, Belmont's men's cross country program not only recorded its sixth consecutive Atlantic Sun Championship, but also recorded the highest overall team GPA in the nation at 3.57.

It marked the fifth time in school history that a Belmont team earned the top GPA in the nation in their respective sport.

More recently, Belmont's men's basketball, men's soccer and men's tennis programs were honored by the NCAA in its annual Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR) Public Recognition Awards. In fact, Belmont is one of only four institutions in Division-I men's basketball to make the APR honor list and earn a berth to the NCAA Championship Tournament each of the last three years: Belmont, Davidson, North Carolina, and Villanova.

“We continue to marvel at the vast achievement of our student-athletes,” Belmont University Director of Athletics Mike Strickland said. “Embodying lofty standards in the classroom while also competing for and winning championships on the field of play is something that merits high praise.”

Gardner-Webb University, the 2007 Atlantic Sun All-Academic Trophy recipient, finished second.

To be named an A-Sun All-Academic, a student-athlete must achieve a 3.0 or higher in the classroom during their semester of competition. The student-athlete must participate in a conference sponsored sport and be on the team's final squad list. The sports sponsored by conference members are cross-country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, golf, softball, baseball, indoor and outdoor track & field.

Belmont University
Belmont University's fast-growing community of nearly 4,800 students comes from almost every state and more than 25 countries. Committed to being a leader among teaching universities, Belmont brings together the best of liberal arts and professional education in a Christian community of learning and service. Our purpose is to help students explore their passions and develop their talents to meet the world's needs. With more than 75 areas of study, 12 master's programs and three doctoral degrees, there is no limit to the ways Belmont University can expand an individual's horizon.

Belmont Earns Atlantic Sun All-Academic Trophy Friday, May 30, 2008   (0 Comments) BELMONT EARNS ATLANTIC SUN ALL-ACADEMIC TROPHY Student-athletes reach new heights in claiming record sixth conference honor