CLEVELAND, Ohio – Nearly 100 University of Colorado Colorado Springs student-athletes earned 2019-20 Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) Academic Achievement Awards, as 98 Mountain Lions earned the distinction this year. The Academic Achievement Awards, in its 13
th year, is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level.
"To have 98 student-athletes recognized for having a 3.5+ GPA in any size athletic department is outstanding" said UCCS Executive Director of Athletics
Nathan Gibson. "Given that this award only goes to those student-athletes who have been in college for two years/four semesters, this means that nearly 70% of UCCS student-athletes eligible for the award have a 3.5+ GPA! The academic success of our student-athletes is truly amazing, and I am so proud of our athletic departments continued commitment to academic excellence."
In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale, have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work, and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year.
In total, there were 15,214 student-athletes from 200 institutions recognized for the 2019-20 Academic Achievement Awards. These numbers shattered the records for highest number of participating institutions and the largest number of student-athletes being nominated since the award program's inception.
"In a year when we can use all of the good news, the D2 ADA Officers and Board of Directors are proud to recognize the highest number of student-athletes with the Academic Achievement Award than ever before," said D2 ADA President
JR Smith, director of athletics at Chadron State College. "The nominations also came from a record number of institutions, showcasing the passion and dedication of our Association and Division II as a whole."
