Binghamton University, competing in its first season in America East, won the conference’s Academic Cup it was announced today by Chris Monasch, Commissioner of America East. Binghamton student-athletes compiled a grade-point average of 3.05 during the 2001-02 academic year to narrowly earn the Academic Cup over University of Vermont (3.04), which won the initial Academic Cup in 1995-96.
The Academic Cup, established by the America East Board of Directors in 1995, is presented to the institution whose student-athletes post the highest grade-point averages during that academic year. The grade-point averages of all student-athletes who compete in the 21 championship sports sponsored by America East are averaged to determine the winner of the Academic Cup.
University of New Hampshire, which won the Academic Cup in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, posted a grade-point average of 2.96 to finish third. University of Hartford, which won the Academic Cup in 1996-97, was fourth with a grade-point average of 2.94. Northeastern University (2.92), Stony Brook University (2.92), University at Albany (2.87), University of Maine (2.87) and Boston University (2.86) followed.
Binghamton fielded teams in 20 of the 21 sports sponsored by the conference during the 2001-02 academic year and saw 14 of those teams post grade-point averages of 3.00 or better.
"Binghamton's student-athletes, coaches and administrators should take great pride in their commitment to academics," Monasch said. "The Academic Cup is a tribute to the leadership of Dr. Joel Thirer and the hard work and dedication of all those associated with the Bearcats athletic programs."
Northeastern’s men’s cross country team posted the highest grade-point average of any of the 21 sports with a 3.45. Binghamton had seven individual sport leaders including women’s basketball (3.40), women’s cross country (3.34), men’s indoor track and field (3.08), baseball (3.06), men’s outdoor track and field (3.06), women’s lacrosse (3.01), and men’s lacrosse (2.98). Other institutional sport leaders were: men’s basketball, Vermont (3.01); field hockey, Albany (3.09); golf, Boston University (3.01); men’s soccer, Hartford (3.04); women’s soccer, Hartford (3.38); softball, Hartford (3.13); men’s swimming and diving, Boston University (3.08); women’s swimming and diving, Northeastern (3.20); men’s tennis, Stony Brook (3.34); women’s tennis, Stony Brook (3.43); women’s indoor track and field, New Hampshire (3.28); women’s outdoor track and field, New Hampshire (3.49); and volleyball, Hartford (3.31).
The nearly 3,000 student-athletes at the nine America East institutions compiled a grade-point average of 2.94 during the 2001-02 academic year.