Lipscomb wins Atlantic Sun All-Academic trophy

Among Lipscomb's 258 student-athletes, 185 achieved All-Academic honors, good for a 71.71 percent mark. Belmont, the winner of seven All-Academic trophies, took second by percentage with 70.26, with ETSU (62.25 percent), Mercer (62.04 percent) and Jacksonville (61.93 percent) all topping the 60 percent barrier. Once again, all 11 member institutions saw at least 50 percent of their athletes reach All-Academic status a record 60.70 percent of all student-athletes made the list.

"We are thrilled to be at the head of the class in a conference with an academic reputation as strong as the Atlantic Sun's," Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson said. "We've just finished up a super year of competition with multiple conference championships, two NCAA tournament appearances and three A-Sun Player of the Year Awards. 

 

"For all of our competitive success, however, I am even more proud of our student-athletes for their hard work in the classroom.  Our coaches, staff, faculty and advisors have all done a great job of supporting these young people in their efforts, and it's rewarding to know that so many of our student-athletes have taken the same effort and dedication that is required to be a great competitor and have applied it to their classroom endeavors as well."

 

For the spring, more than 63 percent of all student-athletes earned All-Academic status. Five squads posted perfect records led by the ETSU men’s golf squad – the only A-Sun champion to also post a perfect All-Academic record. Other teams posting 100 percent included the Mercer men’s golf team, the Kennesaw State men's tennis team as well as Campbell and Belmont’s women's golf squad.

 

“The student-athletes in the Atlantic Sun continue to amaze me with their impressive performances,” Atlantic Sun Commissioner Ted Gumbart said. “To cross the 60 percent threshold for All Academic recognition is a testament to their dedication and competitive spirit. Congratulations to our student-athletes, the faculty at our great universities and the athletic departments that support our commitment to Building Winners for Life."

 

The 10 women's golf teams compiled a 78.95 percentage, highest among the 15 sports considered in the competition. Belmont’s eight spring sports programs combined for 76.36 percent of its student-athletes earning All-Academic honors. In addition to the Bruins, all the spring teams from Mercer and Stetson each had more than half of its student-athletes earn All-Academic honors.

 

To be named an A-Sun All-Academic, a student-athlete must achieve a 3.0 or higher in the classroom during their semester of competition. The student-athlete must participate in a conference sponsored sport and be on the team's final squad list. The sports sponsored by conference members are cross-country, soccer, volleyball, basketball, tennis, golf, softball, baseball, indoor and outdoor track and field.

 

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.