STORRS, Conn. – The University of Connecticut men’s basketball, women’s basketball and field hockey teams, all of which won NCAA national championships this past year, were three of the 14 Husky squads that posted perfect 1000 Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores during the 2012-13 academic year.
The NCAA announced its latest report of the APR for all Division I schools on Wednesday, which included single-year scores for 2012-13 and four-year multi-year scores from 2009-13.
“I want to congratulate our men’s basketball, women’s basketball and field hockey teams for achieving the highest pinnacle both athletically and academically,” said UConn Director of Athletics Warde Manuel.
The 1000 score by the Husky men’s basketball team was its third outstanding score in a row as it posted a 978 in its national championship year of 2010-11 and a 947 in 2011-12.
“Our men’s and women’s basketball programs have shown the country that you can win multiple national championships and have outstanding academic success,” said Manuel. “I want to commend head coaches Kevin Ollie and Geno Auriemma and their staffs for the outstanding work that they have done with their young men and women.”
The UConn women’s basketball team also had a four-year APR rate of 989 to go along with its single-year 1000 score.
“The entire country watched our men’s and women’s basketball teams earn dual national championships for our University this past spring,” said Manuel. “Now, the country knows that these teams are both champions academically as well.
The UConn field hockey team had a perfect 1000 score in both their single-year and multi-year scores.
“The University of Connecticut is very lucky to have head coach Nancy Stevens leading our field hockey program,” said Manuel. “Her team consistently performs at a national level while enjoying incredible athletic success.”
A total of 14 UConn teams earned a perfect 1000 APR score for the 2012-13 academic year – including men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s cross country, field hockey, men’s golf, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field and volleyball.
Five UConn teams had perfect 1000 four-year APR scores – men’s cross country, field hockey, men’s golf, women’s tennis and men’s outdoor track and field while 20 UConn teams scored 970 or better in that mark.
“All of our student-athletes in each of our 24 sports are committed to excellence in both academics and athletics,” said Manuel. “I want to recognize all of them for the outstanding dedication that they show in the classroom each and every day.
“I also want to acknowledge the dedication of our staff of the Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletes. They care deeply about the success of our student-athletes and are committed to helping them gain success in the classroom.”
Among the other highlights for UConn in the latest NCAA report were:
* A multi-year score of 957 for the football team during a time period in which UConn played in bowl games in two seasons. The football team’s score is six points higher than the average score for all football teams nationally. The football team also had a 964 score in 2012-13, which was a point above the national FBS average.
* A multi-year score of 978 for the baseball team during a time in which it qualified for three NCAA tournaments and appeared in the 2011 Super Regionals.
* A multi-year score of 1000 for the men’s outdoor track and field team and a 995 for the men’s indoor track and field team during a period when the Huskies won five combined Big East Conference championships.
* A multi-year score of 986 for the women’s indoor track and field team and a 990 for the women’s outdoor track and field team during a period when the Huskies won six combined ECAC championships.
* A 989 four-year score for the women’s lacrosse team, including a 984 in 2012-13, the year the Huskies made their first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament.
Last week, the NCAA announced that three UConn athletic programs were recognized for top academic performance as part of the NCAA’s academic reform program. Based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rates, the UConn field hockey, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field and women’s tennis programs have earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards. These awards are given each year to teams scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport with their APRs.
