WT: Mavs honored for academic success
4/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Sun Belt release link
ARLINGTON, Texas - UT Arlington women's tennis was one of 14 Sun Belt Conference programs recognized for outstanding performance in the classroom by the NCAA.
"We're so proud of the academic success of our women's tennis program," UT Arlington Athletics Director Jim Baker said. "To be honored and recognized by the NCAA is a testament to their hard work in the classroom, and the direction of the program under Coach Diego Benitez. This achievement is a shining example of what being a student-athlete means and the values we embody at UTA."
The Mavericks' success off the court is mirrored on it. UTA is ranked No. 59 nationally in the latest ITA/Oracle Collegiate Tennis Rankings and 16-3 overall. UTA also completed an undefeated home schedule this season to push its winning streak at UTA Tennis Center to 23 matches. The Mavericks have just one remaining match on its schedule, at North Texas on Saturday, before heading to New Orleans for the Sun Belt Championship tournament next week.
UTA's lone senior, Elizabeth Thoms, continued to move up the record books after a pair of sweeps in SBC play last weekend. Thoms, a native of West Sussex, England, moved into fourth in UTA history for all-time singles wins with 72. The senior is just two wins shy of third (Marle Stepanova, 74).
UTA has excelled in the classroom under the direction of Benitez with a roster composed of eight international student-athletes from six countries, including Spain, Paraguay, China, Germany and Argentina. The Mavs also were recognized in 2014 and 2015 for having the highest GPA for women's tennis in the conference.
Based on their most recent multiyear Academic Progress Rate, these teams have earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards for posting scores in the top 10 percent of their sport. The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams nationally.
APR Academic Public Recognition Award Winners:
- Appalachian State - Women's Golf
- Arkansas State - Men's Cross Country
- Arkansas State - Women's Golf
- Arkansas State - Women's Tennis
- Georgia Southern - Women's Volleyball
- Georgia State - Softball
- Georgia State - Women's Cross Country
- Texas State - Women's Cross Country
- Texas State - Women's Golf
- Texas State - Women's Tennis
- Troy - Women's Golf
- UL Lafayette - Men's Cross Country
- UL Monroe - Men's Golf
- UT Arlington - Women's Tennis
The 14 total teams honored ties last year's record setting number.
Each year, the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR). This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, these teams posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport.
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.
