NCAA Recognizes IU Baseball, Men’s Golf, Men’s Soccer and Women’s Soccer For Stellar APR Scores

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The NCAA announced on Tuesday, May 17, that the Indiana University baseball, men's golf, men’s soccer and women's soccer programs are being honored for their outstanding Academic Performance Program's multi-year APR score. High-performing teams receiving awards posted APR scored ranging from 977 to a perfect 1,000. It marked the fifth straight year that Mike Mayer’s men’s golf program has been honored and the second straight season that Mick Lyon’s women’s soccer team has received the accolade

"Our performance in the classroom and being on track to graduate is one of IU Athletics most important objectives," said Fred Glass, Indiana Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. "Our student-athletes, coaches and our academics staff have worked diligently to take advantage of the outstanding educational opportunities that exist at Indiana University. We are thrilled that the NCAA has recognized their remarkable efforts".

NCAA President Mark Emmert said top-performing teams this year posted APR scores ranging from 977 to a perfect 1,000. The number of teams in some sports may exceed 10 percent depending on the number of perfect scores.

“Most student-athletes excel at balancing their academic and athletics commitments, yet each year there are those who perform at extraordinary levels,” Emmert said. “By achieving the highest levels of academic success as a team, these young men and women truly embody what it means to be a successful NCAA student-athlete.”

By measuring eligibility and retention each semester or quarter, the APR provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport, Emmert said. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.

The 909 teams publicly recognized this year for high achievement represent 14 percent of the 6,385 eligible Division I teams. The list includes 525 women’s teams and 384 men’s or mixed squads.

Each year the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear APR. This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams who demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, these teams posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance. Multiyear APRs for all Division I sports teams, including the teams receiving public recognition, will be announced at a later date.

Baseball Coach Tracy Smith
“This honor simply illustrates that our kids take their academics, along with baseball, seriously. We already knew that, but it’s nice to see the team get recognized for their efforts.”

Golf Coach Mike Mayer
"Very early in the recruiting process we let it be known that academics werea priority. I'm very pleased that our student-athletes have not only met ourexpectations, but exceeded them."

Men’s Soccer Coach Todd Yeagley
“We are very proud to be honored by the NCAA for our academic track record. The student athletes within our soccer program are bright and driven young men who looking to achieve excellence both on the field and in the classroom. Our student athletes take pride in their work and understand a degree from IU will provide a pathway to success. Along with this award, we are also very proud to have over a 1/3 of our current roster earning at 3.5 gpa or better this best semester.”

Women’s Soccer Coach Mick Lyon
“We are very proud of the work that our student-athletes put in off the field in the classroom as well as on the field. A lot of credit for this award goes to our academic support team, who pushes everyone in our program to excel in the classroom and take advantage of all the outstanding opportunities that Indiana University has to offer.”