Tennessee Student-Athletes Post 3.03 GPA in Spring 2014 Semester

UT GPA 662014 1For the third consecutive semester overall and the third consecutive spring semester, University of Tennessee student-athletes have posted a collective GPA above 3.0, finishing the Spring 2014 semester with a 3.03 GPA.

For the first time in school history, as many as 12 teams have recorded a GPA of 3.0 or higher, one more than the previous high of 11. Four sports: baseball, women’s swimming and diving, men’s track and field, and women’s track and field, recorded program-best Spring GPA team performances, with baseball and women’s swimming and diving setting team GPA records for any semester since sport-by-sport records have been kept, which began in 2003.

Women’s swimming and diving’s team-record 3.44 GPA led all Tennessee programs during the Spring 2014 semester, while baseball’s 3.00 GPA marks the first time the program has reached the 3.0 threshold in its history.

A total of 253 student-athletes posted a 3.0 GPA or higher, a rate of 58%. Additionally, 26% of student-athletes (114 total) were recognized on their respective Dean’s Lists. A total of 26 UT student-athletes recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA, the third-highest total in school history.

“It is extremely gratifying to review the outstanding academic performance of our student-athletes again this spring, as our department continues to prioritize our collective effort to inspire all of our teams to achieve academic success at record levels,” said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart. “I applaud our student-athletes for their focus and emphasis on this most important element of our department’s mission.”

A total of 12 sports earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, with women’s golf posting the highest increase, from a 2.84 in the Spring 2013 to a 3.33 in Spring 2014. In addition to women’s golf, baseball, and women’s swimming and diving, other programs posting a 3.0-or-above GPA include men’s golf (3.18), rowing (3.31), soccer (3.29), softball (3.11), men’s tennis (3.15), women’s tennis (3.43), men’s track and field (3.06), women’s track and field (3.29), and volleyball (3.14). Nine teams improved their GPA from their Spring 2013 marks.

The football team posted a 2.62 GPA, the third consecutive spring semester in posting a 2.6 or higher, including 38 players with a 3.0 GPA or higher. Before the last three Spring semesters, football’s previous record for a spring semester was a 2.59 in the Spring of 2008. In addition, the football program has increased its cumulative GPA for the fifth consecutive semester.

 

Individual accolades include:

          Lindsay Gendron (Women’s Swimming and Diving) was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

          Ellen Renfroe (softball) was named the Capital One Academic All-American of the Year for Division I Softball, the second consecutive year a Tennessee softball player earned this honor (also: Raven Chavanne in 2013).

          Madison Shipman was named to the Capital One Academic All-America first team for Division I Softball.

          Tavis Bailey (Men’s Track and Field) and Brittney Jackson (Women’s Track and Field) were awarded NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Scholarships.

          Rick Lamb (Men’s Golf) and Ellen Renfroe (Softball) were named finalists for the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award.

          A record 34 student-athletes were recognized at the 2014 Chancellor’s Honors Banquet.

          A total of 15 student-athletes were named Scholar-Athletes for completing their undergraduate degrees in Summer 2013, Fall 2013, or Summer 2014 with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher: Gregory Grieco (Football), Rachel Clagett and Rachel White (Rowing), Tori Bailey, Caroline Brown, Caroline Capocaccia, and CC Cobb (Soccer), Tori Lewis and Ellen Renfroe (Softball), Carl Svagerko (Swimming and Diving), Kayla McMurray (Women’s Tennis), Colton Norton (Men’s Tennis), Linda Hadfield and Matthew Hoty (Track and Field), and Whitney Heeres (Volleyball).

 

Spring Semester GPAs          2014    2013    2012

Overall                                    3.03     3.05     3.00

Baseball                                  3.00     2.89     2.67

Basketball, Men                      2.27     2.63     2.55

Basketball, Women                 2.90     2.80     3.12

Football                                   2.62     2.80     2.71

Golf, Men                                 3.18     3.37     3.56

Golf, Women                           3.33     2.84     3.58

Rowing                                    3.31     3.37     3.33

Soccer                                     3.29     3.13     3.25

Softball                                    3.11     3.07     3.22

Swimming/Diving, Men            2.93     3.17     2.90

Swimming/Diving, Women      3.44     3.30     3.16

Tennis, Men                            3.15     3.08     3.24

Tennis, Women                       3.43     3.54     3.41

Track and Field, Men              3.06     2.83     2.79

Track and Field, Women         3.29     3.20     3.15

Volleyball                                 3.14     3.58     3.42

# on Dean’s List                       114      115      103

# of 4.0 GPA’s                          26        21        29

Source: Jimmy Stanton, Senior Associate Athletic Director, Communications