General | 5/10/2017 3:42:00 PM

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Eight GS teams post highest multi-year scores ever
• Volleyball and Women's Basketball had the highest multi-year scores in the Sun Belt in their respective sports
• Seven GS sports finished with perfect scores of 1,000 for the 2015-16 academic year
• Eight Georgia Southern programs recorded the same or a better score for the 2015-16 academic year than their multi-year APR score

STATESBORO – The NCAA released the data from its Academic Progress Rate (APR) program on Wednesday, and eight Georgia Southern programs posted their highest multi-year scores since the NCAA started using this metric to assess academic performances for each school in each sport. All 17 GS athletic programs made passing grades, as well.

"Our student-athletes are working hard in the classroom and these numbers reflect that," said GS director of athletics Tom Kleinlein. "Reggie Simpkins and his staff work tirelessly to make sure we're doing things the right way and it shows with eight programs posting record numbers."

The APR is a scorecard that tracks classroom performance of Division I sports teams, and it takes into account eligibility and retention of student-athletes over a four-year period. It measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in each sport. Teams must meet a certain academic threshold to qualify for the postseason, and programs also can face penalties for continued low academic performance. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on annual scores from the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years.

Earning their highest multi-year score in the department were: men's basketball (954), softball (997), women's basketball (987), women's cross country (992), women's golf (1000), women's swimming & diving (997 - tied), women's track & field (970) and volleyball (1000 - tied).

The GS volleyball and women's basketball programs recorded APRs that ranked first in the Sun Belt in their respective sports. Volleyball, was a recipient of the NCAA's Public Recognition Award, which was announced last week and goes to programs with a multi-year APR in the top 10 percent nationally of all squads in each sport. It was the second straight year that the program has been recognized.

Six Eagle programs increased multi-year scores from a year ago – men's basketball, softball, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's soccer and women's track & field. Women's swimming & diving, along with volleyball

Seven GS sports finished with scores of 1,000 for the 2015-16 academic year only, which bodes well for future APR scoring. Those sports were men's golf, softball, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's golf, women's swimming & diving and volleyball.

In all, eight Georgia Southern programs recorded the same or a better score for the 2015-16 academic year than their multi-year APR score, which, again, bodes well for future APR scoring. Those sports were: men's basketball (962), men's golf (1000), softball (1000), women's basketball (1000), women's cross country (1000), women's soccer (989), and women's swimming & diving (1000). The GS volleyball program's 1,000 equaled last year's multi-year score.

For more information on the APR, please check the NCAA website at www.ncaa.org.