Athletics: Cajuns Have Strong Showing in Classroom in Fall 2011 Semester

Student-Athletes with 3.0 GPA or higher  |  Fall 2011 Graduates

A total of 23 student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 GPA and a student-athlete named the University’s Outstanding Graduate were the highlights of the Fall 2011 semester academic report for the Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics Department.
 
UL student-athletes had a GPA of 2.843 in the Fall 2011 semester, marking the third straight semester with a combined GPA of 2.8 or higher. Over the last two semesters (Spring 2011 & Fall 2011), the Cajuns student-athletes cumulative average is 2.870.
 
A total of 168 (48 percent) of the Cajuns student-athletes posted a 3.0 GPA or higher.
 
Softball standout pitcher Ashley Brignac was one of the 23 student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA – a distinction she maintained throughout her college career. The River Ridge, La., native was named both the University’s Outstanding Graduate and College of Education Outstanding Graduate for the Fall 2011 semester.
 
An additional 53 student-athletes earned a 3.50-3.99, while 92 more logged between a 3.0-3.49. The total number of student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA was the highest mark since 22 achieved the accomplishment in Fall 2007.
 
Including Brignac, a group of 27 current and former student-athletes, combined, received their bachelor’s degrees during Fall 2011 commencement ceremonies.
 
“Once again, we are extremely proud of our student-athletes for what they’ve been able to accomplish in the classroom,” Director of Athletics Scott Farmer said. “This report demonstrates the importance they place on education.
 
“I would like to thank our student-athletes, coaches and Student-Athlete Academic Center for their hard work and dedication to the principles of higher education.”
 
An impressive 61 percent (80 of 131) of all female student-athletes earned a 3.0 or better.
 
The women’s soccer team had a team GPA of 3.205.  It was soccer’s 18th consecutive semester with a team GPA greater than 3.0. Volleyball had 15 of its 16 members post a 3.0 GPA or higher and the team GPA of 3.361 was the program’s highest since Fall 2006.
 
For the second straight semester, men’s tennis recorded the program’s highest team GPA on the strength of 10 of the 12 team members posting a 3.0 GPA or higher.
 
Six teams posted a team GPA above 3.0 with men’s tennis (3.459) and women’s tennis (3.443) garnering top team GPA honors for the Fall 2011 semester. Eleven (11) teams in all had a team GPA of at least 2.80.
 
The football team saw 36 members register a 3.0 GPA or higher, a figure which represents over 30 percent of all team members during their playing season. It marked the third straight semester that 30-plus student-athletes from football had a 3.0 GPA or better.
 
Four of the Cajuns women’s teams (soccer, softball, women’s tennis volleyball) had at least 50 percent of their student-athletes earn a 3.0 or better and five of the Cajuns men’s teams (golf, men’s tennis, men’s indoor and outdoor track, men’s cross country) had at least 50 percent of their student-athletes earn a 3.0 or better.
 
Half of the Cajuns 16 teams showed improvement in team GPA from the Spring 2011 semester. The team GPA for Women’s Basketball rose +0.276, Golf +0.418, Men’s Tennis +0.09, Women’s Tennis +0.135, Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track +0.048, Men’s Cross Country +0.079 and Volleyball +0.32.
 

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