Sharks Shine Academically with Program-Best Winter Semester to Cap Record-Setting Year

The winter semester provided more evidence that nothing can stop a determined Shark, as NSU student-athletes not only extended the program’s gold-standard academic tradition, but showed perseverance in excelling at record levels in spite of this semester’s obstacles. The Sharks produced a program-wide 3.40 grade point average for the program’s highest winter semester mark, coupling with the fall’s 3.27 to earn the highest annual departmental GPA on record at 3.33.

Of NSU’s 17 NCAA Division II intercollegiate programs, 16 squads posted a 3.0 or higher team GPA, with 80 percent of student-athletes individually exceeding a 3.0. Closing out the 2019-20 academic year with a perfect semester, a program-record 38 student-athletes garnered a 4.00 GPA and 59 Shark student-athletes graduated during the 2019-20 academic year. There were 90 student-athletes who earned a spot on the NSU Director’s List above a 3.80 GPA, while 223 Sharks were named Scholar Athletes with a GPA of 3.25 or better.

“While this semester proved to be unusual and filled with unexpected challenges, it should come as no surprise that our Shark student-athletes again demonstrated their determination and resilience with their record-setting academic performances,” Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services and Student-Athlete Support Rachel Fineberg said. “I am so proud of each and every one of our student-athletes for their commitment to academic excellence. Congratulations to our recent Shark graduates! We look forward to the day that we can welcome you home and celebrate with you and your loved ones.”

The Shark leaders in the winter hailed from women’s swimming with an NSU-high 3.68 GPA for a new program semester-best, en route to a new top annual GPA. Taking the lead spot for the fifth consecutive semester, the men’s soccer team also posted its best academic year to date thanks to a 3.56 winter semester GPA that again paced all men’s programs.

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