The student-athletes within the Seattle University athletics department combined to produce one of their best academic quarters in recent memory, thanks to a grade point average of 3.355 for the just-completed spring quarter.
Over three-quarters of the student-athletes taking classes during the spring 2014 quarter earned a grade point average of at least 3.0. Of that total, 87 received Dean’s List recognition for having a GPA between 3.5 and 3.899 and 58 made it to the President’s List for accumulating a GPA of 3.9 or above, including 27 student-athletes who posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in the spring.
Four teams combined for a grade point average above 3.5 in the spring quarter, led by the women’s cross country team (3.722), followed by women’s tennis (3.621), women’s swimming (3.592), and women’s rowing (3.585). The men’s track and field team was the top performing male athletics squad during the spring quarter with a 3.45 GPA, followed by men’s cross country at 3.418 and men’s swimming at 3.324.
The exemplary academic performance in the spring capped a great year for Seattle U Athletics in the classroom. Gus Orlando of the men’s tennis team received the Sophomore of the Year Award from the Albers School of Business and Economics. In addition, four other student-athletes who competed during the 2013-14 academic year were invited to join Beta Gamma Sigma, the invitation-only business honor society: Luiz Bidart (basketball), Taylor de Laveaga (cross country/track and field), Mackenzie Gant (swimming), and Kiana Kraft (soccer).
Within the College of Arts and Sciences, track and field participant Cali Cull received the Speck Award for accumulating the highest GPA among sport and exercise science majors, and teammate Trayvon Webster received the Segundo Montes Mozo, S.J. Service Award as a graduating student in sociology who demonstrated outstanding service. Also, departmental honors were awarded to Rosalyn DiLillo (track and field) in creative writing, Nicole Doi (swimming) in English, Nicolas Morrell (swimming) in criminal justice, and Stephanie Verdoia (soccer) in political science.
Kaitlyn Hammond of the rowing team, along with soccer teammates Kraft and Verdoia, were inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit Honor Society. Hammond, along with fellow rowers Larisa Brown and Kelsey Hopkins, as well as Kristen James of the women’s tennis team received Bannan Scholarships from the College of Science and Engineering for their high GPA and commitment to serving both the University and the greater community. Distance runner Haley Kruell and men’s soccer player Kyle Silva received Naef Scholarships, one of the highest honors given to a Seattle U student.
Last November, Julia Besagno of the women’s soccer team was voted Capital One Second Team Academic All-America, with teammates Verdoia and Jacqui Wallis received Third Team Academic All-America honors. Verdoia was also named to the NSCAA Women’s Scholar All-America Third Team, the only student-athlete from a Division I school in Washington or the Western Athletic Conference to receive the honor from the coach’s association.
So far, 70 Seattle U student-athletes competing in the fall and winter sports have received WAC All-Academic recognition, with 11 of those earning the award twice this season for participating in both cross country and indoor track and field. The WAC All-Academic recipients from the spring sports, as well as the freshmen and first-year transfers from the entire 2013-14 academic year, will be announced this week.
The mission of the Seattle University athletics department is to champion the holistic development of student-athletes inspiring a vital and engaged campus community through the development and maintenance of a premier, nationally prominent NCAA Division I athletics program, in the spirit of the Jesuit tradition. One of the aspects of putting the mission into action is creating an athletic culture where student-athletes can realize balanced success in academics, athletics and in all their collegiate pursuits and experiences.