Jan. 12, 2010

Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate's student-athletes had another strong semester in the classroom, earning an athletic department average GPA just a shade under 3.0, while the softball team led the way with a 3.536 and four individual 4.0 GPAs in the fall semester.

"We are once again very proud of our student-athletes' performance in the classroom," said Louise Ericson, Upstate's Associate Athletic Director for Academics and Senior Woman Administrator. "Our student-athletes continue to average right at a 3.0 GPA. We are most proud of our softball team who earned the top spot in the department. We continue to be impressed with how well our Spartans successfully balance the demands of academics and athletics."

The softball team has continued in its recent dominance as the top performing team in the department. The fall semester marks the second time in the last three semesters that the softball team has earned the top spot among the 15 athletic programs at Upstate. The 3.536 marks the highest ever achieved by the softball program and the second highest ever in department history.

"I am proud of the hard work and dedication that our team has put into being successful in the classroom and on the field," said head softball coach Chris Hawkins. "Our players challenge themselves to use their time wisely and work hard to accomplish goals with their academics."

While the softball team led the athletic department in the fall semester, several teams turned in outstanding efforts. Six teams, all female sports, earned a GPA over a 3.0, while two other teams fell just shy of the 3.0 mark. The volleyball team, typically one of the strongest academic programs in the athletic department, finished with the second-highest GPA with a 3.323 in the fall. The women's basketball team was third at 3.299 and was followed by women's soccer (3.279), women's cross country (3.211) and women's track & field (3.131). The men's golf and men's soccer teams finished just a shade under a 3.0 with the men's golf team posting a 2.987 and the men's soccer team earning a 2.978.

The average GPA of the Upstate student-athletes in the fall was 2.961. The female student-athlete GPA was 3.238, while the men earned a 2.711. Fifty-five percent, or 113 of the 207 student-athletes at Upstate, earned a GPA of 3.0 or better.

Eleven student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in the fall: Matt Begley (men's soccer), Kim Brasil (softball), Morgan Bucciferro (volleyball), Johanna Ebenhag (women's golf), Timo Foerster (men's soccer), Amber Hamilton (softball), Alyssa Roegner (women's soccer), Keri Sarratt (softball), Nick Schneiders (men's basketball), Ashley Williams (women's basketball) and Becca Williams (softball).