Three Lehigh teams cited for academic success
8/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Three Lehigh athletic teams have recently been recognized for their commitment to success in both competition and in the classroom. The Lehigh men’s and women's track and field team have recently been honored for their outstanding academic achievements, by being named to the 2005 National Collegiate Division I Track Coaches Association All-Academic Team. At the same time, the Lehigh women's basketball team has once again been honored as one of the most successful academic programs in the country. The men’s track and field team compiled a team grade point average of 3.1711, which ranked eighth nationwide. Lehigh was one of 21 teams to achieve a GPA over 3.00. In addition to the Mountain Hawks, other schools included on the All-Academic team are: Missouri, Yale, Oklahoma State, BYU, Stanford, Detroit-Mercy, Drake, Dartmouth, Syracuse, Davidson, Miami (Ohio), Miami, Wisconsin-Madison, Rice, Quinnipiac, Lafayette, Binghamton, Southwest Missouri State, UC-Santa Barbara, and Florida. The Mountain Hawk women's track and field team compiled a team GPA of 3.1864, which ranked them 25th nationally. The Brown and White was one of 47 teams nationally that registered a team grade point average over 3.00. Other women's teams on the list included: Bradley, Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana State, BYU, Wichita State, Quinnipiac, Liberty, Florida, Central Michigan, Coastal Carolina, Washington State, Rice, Stanford, Drake, Kansas, Dartmouth, Jacksonville, South Florida, Miami (Ohio), College of Charleston, Central Florida, Southern Illinois - Carbondale, Villanova, Appalachian State, Oral Roberts, Akron, Iowa, Syracuse, Montana State, Detroit-Mercy, Southwest Missouri State, Cornell, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Wake Forest, UC-Santa Barbara, Binghamton, Saint Francis, Monmouth, Lafayette, Winthrop, Alabama, Louisville, Wyoming, Virginia Tech, Hawaii, Arkansas, Georgia Tech and Long Beach State. Lehigh landed 23 male student-athletes on the 2005 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll for the spring semester, topped by Kevin Brownell, who registered a perfect 4.0. The Mountain Hawks also witnessed success on the track, as junior Vaclav Malek was named the 2005 Patriot League Male Field Athlete of the Meet at the league championships. Malek then became the school’s first male NCAA qualifier since the association went to the current regional qualifying format. Along the way, Malek broke his own school record in the high jump, set earlier in the season. Last year, the women’s basketball team’s grade point average (GPA) of 3.373 ranked in a tie for 15th place nationally in all of Division I, according to the annual Team Honor Roll announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Lehigh has now been named to the prestigious Team Honor Roll for three years in a row. Last fall, nine of the 15 players on the active roster qualified for the Dean's List after exceeding a GPA of 3.5. In the spring semester, nine players qualified for the Patriot League's Academic Honor Roll with a GPA of 3.2 or higher, led by Mary Frances Hynoski ’05 and Kelly Berk ’05 – both of whom recorded perfect 4.0 GPAs. Lehigh's triumphs in the classroom translated to success on the court, as the Mountain Hawks established a new team record with ten Patriot League wins and advanced to the Patriot League semifinals for the second straight year. Forward Jessica DePalo ’05, an Academic All-District II selection, was named the Patriot League’s Player of the Year in 2004-05, and head coach Sue Troyan garnered Coach of the Year accolades. Lehigh University, a founding member of the Patriot League, has been ranked in the top 20 in the NCAA's overall student-athlete graduation rates report for nearly a decade, or essentially since the NCAA has tracked such data. Lehigh won the inaugural
