By: CSC Athletics
CHADRON, Neb. -- May 14, 2020 -- Final grades are in for the 2019-20 Chadron State College academic year, and CSC student athletes performed exceptionally well, according to grade information compiled by the athletics compliance office on Thursday.
In summary, the student-athlete body collectively scored a 3.08 out of 4.00 annual grade point average, good for more than a B average. Additionally, a quarter of the collegians had straight-As.
A couple of programs could be in contention for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Brechler Awards, given to the team in each league sport with the highest grades.
The top team GPA this year went to the women's golf program, coached by Dr. John Ritzen and Dr. Willie Hoffman. The ladies crushed it this year with a 3.83 GPA, and they also had one of the best seasons, while shortened, in program history. All nine members had at least a 3.0, including seven with perfect grades. By comparison Fort Lewis, the Brechler winner in 2018-19, earned a 3.57.
Women's cross country was next-best with a 3.49. They were followed closely by the top team sport, volleyball, with a 3.47, edging women's basketball at 3.46.' Women's track and field, which includes the distance runners, had a 3.40.
The biggest improvement between semesters made by any program was found in men's rodeo, which started with a 2.85 in the fall, but finished with a 3.70 in the spring to average 3.24 for the year.
The Eagles football team, Brechler winners in four of the first seven years the award has been offered, earned a 3.03 GPA. Each of the past three times the program has topped 3.00, it was the best in the RMAC.
Next to golf, softball made the biggest jump from last years grades, for women's sports. The team's 3.13 was a tenth higher than its 3.03 in 2018-19.
Among men's sports, track and wrestling saw the greatest improvement year over year. Track and field gained 0.16 to finish at 2.79, while the wrestlers improved from 2.83 to 2.88 in 2019-20. More than half of both teams carried a 3.00 throughout the year.
The men's basketball program saw half its 18 members earn a 3.00 or better, finishing the spring semester with an annual GPA of 2.78.
The league's team academic superlatives are typically announced in June of each year, and the teams are recognized with a plaque at the annual awards ceremony over the summer.