NATCHITOCHES – Nearly 400 student-athletes at Northwestern State combined to post a cumulative spring grade point average of 2.95 on a 4.0 scale during the spring 2014 semester, an all-time best for the Demons' athletic program.
 
Director of athletics Greg Burke, whose department has consistently excelled in NCAA academic reviews and annual assessments such as the Academic Progress Rate and the Graduation Success Rate, was delighted by the news reported by head academic coordinator Carrie Greene and her assistant, Kelee Roddy.
 
"Most importantly, our student-athletes are doing their part by 'making the grade'," said Burke, "and first and foremost, congratulations to them for this collective landmark. Kudos to the entire athletic department for continuing to place emphasis on academic achievement.  The diligent efforts of our academic staff on a daily basis combined with the fact that coaches keep academic success front and center with their student-athletes certainly contributes to accomplishments of this caliber."
 
The 2.95 cumulative average topped NSU Athletics' former semester high, a 2.87 GPA, said Greene. That achievement, said Burke, illustrates ever-increasing emphasis on academic performance in the department and is a source of pride for the entire university community.
 
"This GPA record is a tangible illustration of the fact that academic success is an ongoing focus within the Athletic Department and also is something of which our faculty, alumni and student body can be proud," said Burke.
 
Five sports – women's basketball, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball – posted team GPA's of over 3.0 in the spring semester, said Greene.  While those teams set the pace, she was ecstatic at the comprehensive efforts that produced the outstanding GPA.
 
"I could not be more proud of our student-athletes and coaches for this tremendous accomplishment. The student-athletes' hard work and the coaches' dedication to academics has made this possible," said Greene, who was a soccer student-athlete at NSU from 2003-06. "It isn't easy to achieve an almost 3.0 GPA with around 400 student-athletes, but this is proof that through dedication and hard work, it can be done."
 
The 2.95 spring semester GPA came while several teams were posting outstanding competitive achievements.
 
Women's basketball won 21 games, captured the Southland Conference Tournament championship, and played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years.  The Demon basketball program ranked second nationally in scoring among four top 10 NCAA statistical rankings in a 17-win season.  Lady Demon softball posted 30 wins and repeated as Southland Tournament champions, making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
The Lady Demon tennis program won 20 matches for only the second time in school history and captured the Southland regular-season crown for the second time in four seasons. Demon baseball set a Southland Conference record for the best one-season improvement, posting 14 more league victories than a year earlier in a 33-win season which saw them in contention for the conference championship into the final weekend of the regular season.