Photo by: Maddie McCall
SHU Wins NEC Institutional Academic Award
6/21/2024 12:00:00 PM | General
Pios Shine On and Off the Fields
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Sacred Heart University student-athletes rose to the top of their conference on and off the fields.
A few weeks ago, the Pioneers earned the Northeast Conference's award for overall supremacy in 2023-24. Now they have added the institutional academic award in their final year in the league.
Pio players, who number more than 1,200, compiled a 3.45 average GPA, edging out Merrimack, Le Moyne and LIU.
"Our student athletes are competitive in the classrooms and on the playing fields and we are so proud of all of their accomplishments," said Judy Ann Riccio, SHU's Director of Athletics. "This is such a fitting way to end a successful year of athletics."
This is the fifth time SHU has won the award, including three straight from 2015 to 2017. Only one NEC school has more. It's also the fifth time a school has won both the Institutional Academic Award and Commissioner's Cup in the same year. The Pioneers have now accomplished that four (2015-16, 2016-17, 2022-23) times.
SHU's baseball, football, men's golf and women's indoor and outdoor track & field teams were conference academic champions.
Institutional Academic Award Winner
Sacred Heart - 3.450 GPA
Team GPA Award Winners
Baseball - Sacred Heart - 3.385
Men's Basketball - Wagner* - 3.413
Men's Cross Country - LIU - 3.460
Football - Sacred Heart - 3.165
Men's Golf - Sacred Heart - 3.745
Men's Soccer - Merrimack - 3.660
Men's Swimming & Diving - LIU - 3.490
Men's Tennis - LIU - 3.920
Men's Indoor Track & Field - Wagner* - 3.346
Men's Outdoor Track & Field - Wagner - 3.346
Men's Volleyball - Saint Francis U - 3.391
Women's Basketball - Le Moyne - 3.720
Women's Bowling - Merrimack* - 3.710
Women's Cross Country - Saint Francis U - 3.732
Field Hockey - Wagner - 3.699
Women's Golf - Wagner - 3.791
Women's Lacrosse - LIU* - 3.650
Women's Soccer - Saint Francis U - 3.684
Softball - Wagner - 3.625
Women's Swimming & Diving - LIU - 3.680
Women's Tennis - LIU* - 3.820
Women's Indoor Track & Field - Sacred Heart - 3.590
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Sacred Heart* - 3.590
Women's Volleyball - CCSU - 3.748
* Won NEC Championship
Number of Team GPA Awards
LIU - 6
Wagner - 6
Sacred Heart - 5
Saint Francis U - 3
Merrimack - 2
CCSU - 1
Le Moyne - 1
2023-24 School-By-School GPAs
School - NEC Sports - Overall GPA
CCSU - 16 - 3.140
FDU - 20 - 3.294
Le Moyne - 20 - 3.338
LIU - 24 - 3.340
Merrimack - 23 - 3.380
Sacred Heart - 23 - 3.450
Saint Francis U - 22 - 3.352
Stonehill - 20 - 3.019
Wagner - 21 - 3.362
A few weeks ago, the Pioneers earned the Northeast Conference's award for overall supremacy in 2023-24. Now they have added the institutional academic award in their final year in the league.
Pio players, who number more than 1,200, compiled a 3.45 average GPA, edging out Merrimack, Le Moyne and LIU.
"Our student athletes are competitive in the classrooms and on the playing fields and we are so proud of all of their accomplishments," said Judy Ann Riccio, SHU's Director of Athletics. "This is such a fitting way to end a successful year of athletics."
This is the fifth time SHU has won the award, including three straight from 2015 to 2017. Only one NEC school has more. It's also the fifth time a school has won both the Institutional Academic Award and Commissioner's Cup in the same year. The Pioneers have now accomplished that four (2015-16, 2016-17, 2022-23) times.
SHU's baseball, football, men's golf and women's indoor and outdoor track & field teams were conference academic champions.
Institutional Academic Award Winner
Sacred Heart - 3.450 GPA
Team GPA Award Winners
Baseball - Sacred Heart - 3.385
Men's Basketball - Wagner* - 3.413
Men's Cross Country - LIU - 3.460
Football - Sacred Heart - 3.165
Men's Golf - Sacred Heart - 3.745
Men's Soccer - Merrimack - 3.660
Men's Swimming & Diving - LIU - 3.490
Men's Tennis - LIU - 3.920
Men's Indoor Track & Field - Wagner* - 3.346
Men's Outdoor Track & Field - Wagner - 3.346
Men's Volleyball - Saint Francis U - 3.391
Women's Basketball - Le Moyne - 3.720
Women's Bowling - Merrimack* - 3.710
Women's Cross Country - Saint Francis U - 3.732
Field Hockey - Wagner - 3.699
Women's Golf - Wagner - 3.791
Women's Lacrosse - LIU* - 3.650
Women's Soccer - Saint Francis U - 3.684
Softball - Wagner - 3.625
Women's Swimming & Diving - LIU - 3.680
Women's Tennis - LIU* - 3.820
Women's Indoor Track & Field - Sacred Heart - 3.590
Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Sacred Heart* - 3.590
Women's Volleyball - CCSU - 3.748
* Won NEC Championship
Number of Team GPA Awards
LIU - 6
Wagner - 6
Sacred Heart - 5
Saint Francis U - 3
Merrimack - 2
CCSU - 1
Le Moyne - 1
2023-24 School-By-School GPAs
School - NEC Sports - Overall GPA
CCSU - 16 - 3.140
FDU - 20 - 3.294
Le Moyne - 20 - 3.338
LIU - 24 - 3.340
Merrimack - 23 - 3.380
Sacred Heart - 23 - 3.450
Saint Francis U - 22 - 3.352
Stonehill - 20 - 3.019
Wagner - 21 - 3.362
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