Seven Clemson Programs Post 3.0 or Better Team GPAs

March 30, 2010

CLEMSON, SC – Seven Clemson programs, including current top 20 golf and women’s tennis programs, recorded over a 3.0 team GPA for the first semester of the 2009-10 academic year, according to academic performance statistics released by Clemson University’s Office of Institutional Research and Planning on Monday. Two-hundred and thirty-nine student-athletes were named to the academic honor roll (at least a 3.0 for the semester), the third highest total on record.

The overall GPA for the 472 student-athletes in the study was 2.85, and 121 student-athletes were on the Dean’s List, including 41 who posted a perfect 4.0. It was the fifth most Dean’s List student-athletes for one semester on record.

“We are proud of the performance of our student-athletes in the classroom,” said Clemson Athletic Director Dr. Terry Don Phillips. “I would like to compliment Becky Bowman and her staff at Vickery Hall. These results show our coaches continue to make academics a priority. I am pleased with our consistent level of excellence academically.”

Programs who posted a 3.0 or better as a team were women’s swimming (3.30), women’s cross country (3.38), men’s cross country (3.26), women’s soccer (3.20), women’s tennis (3.11), men’s tennis (3.02), and men’s golf (3.01). Clemson’s golf team is ranked 17th in the latest Golf World Coach’s poll and the women’s tennis team is ranked ninth in the nation in the latest coach’s poll.

Clemson’s rowing program, currently ranked 12th in the nation, had the most student-athletes on the academic honor roll with 39, followed by the Tigers football team with 34. Ten starters on Dabo Swinney’s ACC Atlantic Division Championship team made the honor roll this past fall. The list included first-team All-American DeAndre McDaniel, third-team All-American Thomas Austin, second-team All-ACC receiver Jacoby Ford, first-team All-ACC tight end Michael Palmer and freshman All-Americans Dalton Freeman and Rashard Hall. Austin and Palmer both made the Dean’s List.

Ben Martin, who will play in the Masters golf tournament in two weeks and is a three-time first-team Academic All-ACC team performer, had a 4.0 in the classroom in the first semester.

Tanner Smith and Andre Young both made the academic honor roll from the Clemson basketball team, two of four selections from Oliver Purnell’s team. Smith and Young both made the Academic All-ACC team for this past season.

Five of the seven members of Clemson’s women’s tennis team made the academic honor roll, including Josipa Bek, who is ranked among the top 25 players in the nation. The women’s swimming team posted a 3.0 or better team GPA for the 21st consecutive semester, an all-time record. The women’s soccer team had a 3.20 team GPA, the 18th consecutive semester with at least a 3.0.

Twelve members of Clemson’s ACC Championship women’s indoor track team made the academic honor roll, including All-Americans Patricia Mamona and Liane Weber.

Clemson Team Grade Point Averages for Fall 2009 SemesterSport – GPA Baseball – 2.83 Basketball, Men – 2.26 Basketball, Women – 2.58 Cross Country, Men – 3.26 Cross Country, Women – 3.38 Football – 2.45 Golf – 3.01 Rowing – 2.96 Soccer, Men – 2.98 Soccer, Women – 3.20 Swimming & Diving, Men – 2.92 Swimming & Diving, Women – 3.30 Tennis, Men – 3.02 Tennis, Women – 3.11 Track & Field, Men – 2.41 Track & Field, Women – 2.78 Volleyball – 2.50

Complete Academic Honor Roll for Fall 2009