The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's bowling, men's golf, men's tennis and women's tennis teams were recognized by the Northeast Conference for having the highest team GPA among their NEC competitors, as announced by the NEC office.  Among all NEC institutions, the Knights ranked fourth in overall GPA with a mark of 3.255.  

The FDU women's bowling team finished the year with a 3.759 GPA, narrowly edging the mark of 3.734 by the Knights' women's tennis team.  Men's golf finished with an overall GPA of 3.585, while men's tennis finished with a 3.580 GPA for the year.
 
Overall, the NEC's 4,800+ student-athletes averaged a record-high 3.163 GPA for the 2011-12 academic year and 11 of the league's 12 core member institutions finished the year with at least a 3.0 GPA.

The Institutional Academic Award is presented annually to the NEC member who attains the highest overall institutional grade-point average amongst student-athletes competing in sports sponsored by the NCAA Division I conference.  The NEC currently sponsors a total of 23 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's cross country, football, field hockey, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's and women's soccer, softball, women's swimming, men's and women's tennis and women's volleyball.

Robert Morris not only improved on its 3.221 GPA from a year ago, but the 3.279 figure represents a high water mark for the Conference since the award was first established during the 2006-07 academic year.  The Colonials had 17 of their 20 teams record a GPA in excess of 3.0, led by the women's cross country team with a program-best 3.785.

“Congratulations to Robert Morris University for earning its first-ever NEC Institutional Academic Award, an accomplishment which is especially impressive given the high level of competition they faced from the student-athletes at St. Francis University, Wagner, FDU and others,” said Noreen Morris, NEC Commissioner.  “The fact that we continue to reach record-highs, both at the institutional and conference levels, demonstrates the incredible commitment the NEC membership places on the academic accomplishments of its student-athletes.”

NEC Institutional GPA Ranking

School                     NEC Sports          Overall GPA 
Robert Morris                  20                           3.279
Wagner                            19                           3.268
Saint Francis (PA)          21                           3.268
Fairleigh Dickinson       19                           3.255
LIU Brooklyn                    18                           3.212
Sacred Heart                   23                           3.162
Monmouth                        20                           3.150                
Quinnipiac                        18                           3.146
St. Francis (NY)               16                           3.106
Bryant                                21                           3.054
Central Connecticut       18                           3.051   
Mount St. Mary's              19                           2.991


The NEC also recognized those teams that compiled the best GPA in their respective sports.  Robert Morris claimed an NEC-best seven team GPA awards, followed by four for Fairleigh Dickinson and three for Wagner.

NEC women's bowling student-athletes posted the highest overall grades of any sport in the Conference, combining for a 3.433 GPA.  Likewise, the Robert Morris women's cross country team's 3.785 grade point average was the best mark for a single program on the year. 

Fairleigh Dickinson not only won NEC championships in men's and women's tennis, but also compiled the highest GPAs in the Conference in those two sports.

NEC Team GPA Awards
Baseball                                          LIU Brooklyn                          3.150
Men's Basketball                            Wagner                                  3.056
Women's Basketball                     St. Francis (NY)                    3.476
Women's Bowling                         Fairleigh Dickinson             3.759
Men's Cross Country                    Saint Francis (PA)                 3.420
Women's Cross Country              Robert Morris                        3.785
Field Hockey                                   Saint Francis (PA)                3.510
Football                                            Sacred Heart                         2.910
Men's Golf                                       Fairleigh Dickinson             3.585
Women's Golf                                 Wagner                                  3.526
Men's Indoor Track & Field           Mount St. Mary's                   3.328
Women's Indoor Track & Field    Robert Morris                        3.545
Men's Lacrosse                              Robert Morris                        3.140
Women's Lacrosse                       Robert Morris                        3.380
Men's Outdoor Track & Field        Mount St. Mary's                   3.328
Women's Outdoor Track & Field Robert Morris                        3.545
Men's Soccer                                   LIU Brooklyn                         3.500
Women's Soccer                            Monmouth                             3.440
Softball                                             Robert Morris                        3.650
Women's Swimming                      Wagner                                 3.531
Men's Tennis                                  Fairleigh Dickinson             3.580
Women's Tennis                           Fairleigh Dickinson             3.734
Women's Volleyball                       Robert Morris                        3.655

About The Northeast Conference
Now finishing its 31st year, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of 12 institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to four of the largest markets in the United States - New York (#1), Pittsburgh (#23), Baltimore (#27), and Hartford/New Haven (#30). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 23 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic or play-in access to 14 different NCAA Championships. NEC member institutions include Bryant, Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, LIU Brooklyn, Monmouth, Mount St. Mary's, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (NY), Saint Francis (PA) and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit www.northeastconference.org.