INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced 149 men’s and women’s teams Monday as recipients of the 2017-18 Team Academic All-GLVC Award. The GLVC recognizes each team from member institutions that have maintained a 3.30 grade point average for the academic year. The total of 149 honorees surpasses the previous Conference record of 144 set last year.
The Bellarmine University women’s soccer program registered the Conference’s highest team GPA during the 2017-18 academic year with a 3.79. Tying for second was the University of Indianapolis men’s and women’s tennis teams, which each garnered a 3.78 GPA this past season. The Drury University women’s soccer squad and Maryville University women’s tennis program followed at 3.75.
The GLVC tied last year’s record high with eight schools finishing with 10 or more teams at or above a 3.30, having set previous conference marks in 2016 (seven) and 2015 (five). Maryville paced the league with 16 teams that met the standard, topping the previous Conference best of 14 set by Drury last year. Bellarmine and UIndy followed with 13 teams each, while McKendree University and Rockhurst University had 12 teams, Truman State University boasted 11 squads, and Drury and William Jewell College had 10 each.
Impressively, 12 of the GLVC’s 15 institutions increased their totals from a year ago. The University of Missouri-St. Louis and Truman State led the league in largest academic growth by a GLVC school, having both increased the total by four teams, as the Tritons went from five to nine and the Bulldogs made a jump from seven to 11. Also of note, Bellarmine improved three spots from 10 to 13 and Maryville climbed three markers from 13 to its record total this season.
Of the 149 honored programs, 109 came from women’s sports and 40 from the men’s side, which marks an increase of one and four, respectively, from a year ago.
Women’s soccer remained as the sport with the most honors, as all 15 member institutions saw their respective squads above a 3.30. Softball and volleyball followed with 14 school winners, while women’s basketball and women’s golf trailed with 13 each. Of the nine women’s sports, which include indoor and outdoor track and field as one, seven had more than 80 percent of its participating schools achieve the GPA milestone, including soccer (15/15, 100%), softball (14/15, 93%), volleyball (14/15, 93%), golf (13/14, 93%), swimming and diving (8/9, 89%) and basketball (13/15, 87%). Cross country (11/14) was just shy of the mark at 79 percent, while track and field boasted nine of 14 schools at a 69-percent clip.
On the men’s side, tennis led the way with nine of 13 programs earning the honor, followed by cross country and golf with seven schools each. Soccer was represented by six teams, followed by baseball (4), swimming and diving (3), track and field (2), basketball (1), and wrestling (1).
For the second-straight season, women’s tennis was the sport most commonly found atop each school’s list with four. The remaining 11 schools were led by women’s cross country (3), women’s golf (3), women’s soccer (2), women’s basketball (1), softball (1), and volleyball (1).
The complete list of Team Academic All-GLVC Award honorees follows by institution in alphabetical order.
Bellarmine (13) – Women’s Soccer (3.79), Men’s Golf (3.69), Softball (3.63), Women’s Tennis (3.59), Women’s Cross Country (3.58), Women’s Track and Field (3.51), Men’s Cross Country (3.49), Volleyball (3.48), Women’s Swimming and Diving (3.48), Women’s Golf (3.42), Women’s Basketball (3.38), Men’s Swimming and Diving (3.32), Men’s Track and Field (3.30).
Drury (10) – Women’s Soccer (3.75), Men’s Tennis (3.69), Volleyball (3.58), Women’s Tennis (3.55), Women’s Basketball (3.54), Women’s Golf (3.52), Softball (3.46), Baseball (3.43), Women’s Swimming and Diving (3.39), Men’s Cross Country (3.31).
Illinois Springfield (9) – Softball (3.67), Women’s Tennis (3.65), Women’s Golf (3.61), Volleyball (3.55), Women’s Soccer (3.54), Men’s Golf (3.43), Women’s Cross Country (3.46), Women’s Track and Field (3.43), Men’s Tennis (3.36).
Indianapolis (13) – Women’s Tennis (3.78), Men’s Tennis (3.78), Women’s Golf (3.66), Women’s Cross Country (3.64), Softball (3.62), Volleyball (3.61), Women’s Soccer (3.46), Men’s Golf (3.46), Women’s Basketball (3.45), Women’s Swimming and Diving (3.42), Women’s Track and Field (3.41), Men’s Cross Country (3.38), Men’s Swimming and Diving (3.34).
Lewis (8) – Women’s Golf (3.71), Women’s Tennis (3.57), Women’s Basketball (3.54), Volleyball (3.51), Men’s Tennis (3.51), Women’s Soccer (3.49), Softball (3.46), Women’s Cross Country (3.33).
Maryville (16) – Women’s Tennis (3.75), Men’s Golf (3.66), Women’s Basketball (3.61), Women’s Soccer (3.57), Women’s Cross Country (3.54), Women’s Golf (3.53), Women’s Track and Field (3.52), Softball (3.51), Men’s Swimming and Diving (3.49), Men’s Tennis (3.48), Men’s Cross Country (3.46), Men’s Soccer (3.42), Wrestling (3.39), Men’s Track and Field (3.35), Women’s Swimming and Diving (3.33), Baseball (3.30).
McKendree (12) – Women’s Basketball (3.67), Softball (3.66), Women’s Cross Country (3.61), Women’s Soccer (3.60), Women’s Track and Field (3.54), Volleyball (3.53), Women’s Swimming and Diving (3.48), Women’s Golf (3.42), Baseball (3.36), Men’s Cross Country (3.34), Men’s Tennis (3.31), Women’s Tennis (3.31).
Missouri S&T (7) – Women’s Golf (3.56), Volleyball (3.54), Men’s Soccer (3.46), Women’s Cross Country (3.38), Women’s Track and Field (3.35), Women’s Soccer (3.33), Softball (3.33).
Missouri-St. Louis (9) – Women’s Tennis (3.66), Women’s Golf (3.62), Volleyball (3.61), Men’s Golf (3.58), Men’s Tennis (3.44), Softball (3.43), Women’s Swimming (3.41), Women’s Soccer (3.32), Women’s Basketball (3.31).
Quincy (6) – Women's Golf (3.63), Women's Soccer (3.586), Women's Basketball (3.53), Men's Soccer (3.50), Softball (3.45), Volleyball (3.39).
Rockhurst (12) – Women’s Cross Country (3.70), Volleyball (3.69), Women’s Basketball (3.68), Women’s Tennis (3.67), Softball (3.65), Women’s Soccer (3.63), Women’s Golf (3.56), Men’s Tennis (3.48), Men’s Golf (3.45), Men’s Soccer (3.43), Men’s Basketball (3.35), Baseball (3.30).
Southern Indiana (8) – Women’s Tennis (3.74), Women’s Basketball (3.69), Women’s Cross Country (3.59), Women’s Track and Field (3.58), Volleyball (3.55), Women’s Soccer (3.54), Men’s Soccer (3.37), Softball (3.36).
Truman State (11) – Women’s Cross Country (3.71), Women’s Swimming (3.63), Women’s Soccer (3.57), Women’s Tennis (3.54), Softball (3.52), Women’s Golf (3.51), Volleyball (3.51), Women’s Track and Field (3.49), Women’s Basketball (3.43), Men’s Soccer (3.41), Men’s Cross Country (3.36).
UW-Parkside (5) – Volleyball (3.45), Men’s Cross Country (3.45), Women’s Basketball (3.41), Women’s Soccer (3.38), Softball (3.35).
William Jewell (10) – Women’s Cross Country (3.60), Volleyball (3.58), Men’s Golf (3.54), Women’s Swimming (3.53), Women’s Tennis (3.45), Women’s Track and Field (3.44), Women’s Basketball (3.44), Women’s Golf (3.40), Women’s Soccer (3.39), Men’s Tennis (3.36).