Thursday, August 11, 2011
by Colby Wilson

NEW ORLEANS, La. - The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced the 2011 Women's All-Academic squads, Thursday, with 164 institutions earning a team GPA of 3.0 or better for the 2010-11 academic year. The Lipscomb women’s squad earned high academic marks once again, finishing tied for fifth in the nation with a 3.51 team GPA.

“A terrific accomplishment by our women’s team to earn another top-five national finish academically,” said Lipscomb track and field coach Bill Taylor. “It’s fun to remain in the top group in the nation academically while rising to the top athletically. We continue to lead the Atlantic Sun as well, which is a great honor.”

Texas (Indoor) and Oklahoma (Outdoor) were the national Teams of the Year; Texas carried a 3.28 team GPA, while the Sooners had a 3.03, both well behind the marks set by Lipscomb.

Overall, Princeton carried the highest GPA among Division I women’s squads, with a 3.68 GPA. Lipscomb tied with Wofford and Loyola-Maryland for the nation’s fifth-best GPA, behind Princeton, Iona (3.57), Santa Clara (3.56) and St. John’s (3.52).

The Lady Bisons had the best team GPA of the four other Atlantic Sun squads who made the list, eclipsing the marks of ETSU (3.27), Jacksonville (3.26) and Kennesaw State (3.18).

As a whole, the Lipscomb track and field program joined very elite company as one of only eight schools in the nation to have both the men and women’s teams put up 3.35 GPA’s or better. The other schools to earn that distinction were Duke, Harvard, Rice, Santa Clara, Stanford, Tennessee Chattanooga and Yale.

“I am so proud of how hard our women and men work in the classroom, athletically, socially and spiritually,” said Taylor. “We have such wonderful people in our program and they are making a big name for Lipscomb in every way.”

In the spring of 2011, 34 of 37 Lady Bisons were named academic All-Conference for their work in the classroom. Fifteen of these athletes earned GPA’s of 3.75 or better, and 11 earned 4.0’s.