Alaska Nanooks continue improvements in the classroom

Submitted by Jamie Foland
Phone: 9074746807
01/14/10

Alaska Nanook student-athletes are giving the athletic department good reason to cheer after achieving their highest cumulative grade point average ever in the fall 2009 semester. University of Alaska Fairbanks athletics director Forrest Karr announced recently that the student-athletes for the 10 sports programs posted a 3.34 cumulative GPA.

The athletic department semester GPA of 3.34 rose from the 3.29 cumulative mark set in the Spring 2009 semester. In the fall the Nanook student-athletes averaged 13.04 credit hours amongst the 127 student-athletes.

The most impressive trend has been the rise in the department’s GPA over the past two semesters (Fall 2008-Spring 2009). In the fall of 2008 Nanook student-athletes had a 3.21 GPA, which improved to a 3.29 in the spring of 2009.

The student-athletes also finished the 2008-09 academic year with a 3.25 GPA, which was an improvement from the 2007-08 academic year when they finished with a 3.21 GPA.

"We are fortunate to have coaches who value education and the role that athletics can play in teaching life lessons." said Karr. "The department’s sustained academic success is a testament to the work these coaches do on a daily basis. They take pride in fostering a culture of character development in all aspects of student-athletes’ lives."

In total, 18 student-athletes were recognized with conference all-academic honors in the fall semester. The women’s volleyball team had a conference-high eight players named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s All-Academic team, while the men’s and women’s cross country team combined for 10 GNAC Academic All-Conference selections.