158 Wildcats placed on Southland’s Commissioner’s Honor Roll

158 Wildcats placed on Southland’s Commissioner’s Honor Roll

6/22/2020 11:05:00 AM | Baseball, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Men's Tennis, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Tennis, Track & Field, Beach Volleyball

ABILENE – With 14 programs boasting a 2020 spring term GPA above a 3.00, it should come as no surprise Abilene Christian ranked among the top Southland Conference institutions with 158 student-athletes named Monday to the league's Commissioner's Honor Roll.

ACU's student-athletes combined for a 3.24 spring term GPA, and 3.21 for the 2019-20 academic year, which shifted online in March following the spread of COVID-19.

ACU ranked third in total number of honorees. Incarnate Word led the way with 175 awardees followed by Central Arkansas with 163.

ACU's 158 honorees marked another record for the West Texas institution, which has seen its total escalate over six consecutive years. The 2019 honor roll featured 134 Wildcats, while ACU's 2014 debut included just 77 student-athletes. Ninety-two Wildcats made the grade in 2015, followed by 103 in 2016, 121 in 2017, and 125 in 2018.

The Southland's spring semester honor roll is composed of competitors from baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field.

The Wildcats' 3.21 academic year GPA is a program record as they followed their 3.18 fall term GPA with a 3.24 – led by 40 student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA.

All women's teams completed the spring with GPAs well above a 3.0 for the 14th-consecutive semester led by women's tennis (3.63). Six men's program finished above a 3.0. Golf recorded the best GPA of the spring at 3.63, followed by tennis (3.25) and track and field (3.17).

Wildcat cross country was second on the women's side in spring GPA with a 3.61 with soccer close behind at 3.56. All women's teams had a spring GPA above 3.30.

This is the first time beach volleyball has been included on the honor roll. ACU's team finished the year with a 3.40 GPA (3.43 fall; 3.37 spring).

"We're again pleased to acknowledge so many high-performing Southland student-athletes," league commissioner Tom Burnett said. "As outstanding as they are on the playing fields and courts, it's always gratifying to know of their academic success that will later lead to graduation and further life-long accomplishments."