LAFAYETTE – Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns student-athletes scored a record fourth straight semester with a cumulative grade point average of 2.80 or higher, led by 16 student-athletes with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
The grades were earned for the Spring 2012 semester that ended in May. They were compiled by the UL Lafayette Student-Athlete Academic Center, which coordinates the academic progress of all of the university’s student-athletes.
UL Lafayette’s 346 student-athletes posted a 2.804 GPA, the sixth-highest average recorded since the Fall of 2000. More than half – 182 – posted a 3.0 or better and 85 earned a 3.5 or higher.
Fifty-one student-athletes completed their degree requirement during the term and graduated.
“When you take into consideration the time and effort that our student-athletes put into competing at the highest level of collegiate competition, their accomplishments in the classroom are astounding,” said Scott Farmer, UL Lafayette’s athletics director.
“Their academic performance this year shows that not only can our student-athletes commit at least 20 hours a week to being the best possible athletes that they can be, but they are equally as dedicated to succeeding in the classroom.
“I am very proud of the performance of our student-athletes because they truly bring to life the academic mission of this university. It is through their hard work, along with the support and encouragement that they receive from the staff of the Student-Athlete Academic Center, our coaches, athletic staff and members of the university community, that they are able to accomplish great things academically.”
Softball graduate Ashley Brignac, who was named the Capital One Softball Academic All-American of the Year for the second straight season, leads the Cajun contingent with 4.0s. She is one of four softball players with a perfect GPA. The others are: Christie Orgeron, Katie Smith and Megan Waterman.
Soccer also had four with 4.0 GPAS: Allison Baker, Margaret Golz, Amanda Moorefield and Haley Parker.
Rounding out the 4.0 student-athletes are: Daniel Alban, Carl Alberton and Yanick Mandl, men’s tennis; Samantha Roy and Megan Whittaker, women's basketball; Daniel Nichols, baseball; Andrew Noto, golf; and Marc Malespin, men’s track.
Women’s tennis led all sports, with a 3.37 GPA. Seven of its nine student-athletes had at least a 3.0 GPA.
Five of the 16 sports achieved a 3.0 GPA or better, including volleyball, 3.217; golf, 3.191; soccer, 3.184; and men's tennis, 3.177.
It was the 19th straight semester that the Cajun socceer team registered a 3.0 or better, an ongoing school record. Women's tennis (5), men's tennis (4), volleyball (4) and golf (2) have the next longest active streak of 3.0 semesters.
After three straight semesters below a 3.0, the golf team’s grade increased 0.418 in the fall semester when the squad posted a 3.192 GPA. The Cajuns ended the academic year with a 3.191 in the spring.
The football team continued to perform well in the classroom, attaining a 2.691 GPA, the highest average for the team ever recorded. It bested the 2.672 the squad had in spring 2011, the first semester the program was under the direction of head coach Mark Hudspeth.
The spring semester marked the first time since at least the 2006-07 academic year that more than half of UL Lafayette student-athletes surpassed the 3.0 mark.
Football led the way with 37 student-athletes with a 3.0, with baseball (19), soccer (15), women’s track (15) and softball (14) rounding out the top five.
Women’s tennis had the highest percentage of student-athletes with a 3.0 as seven of the nine members accomplished the feat. Volleyball (12 of 16), men’s tennis (10 of 15), golf (6 of 9), soccer (15 of 24), baseball (19 of 37) and softball (14 of 28) each had at least half of their student-athletes record a 3.0 in the spring.