BOSTON – After a year during which America East student-athletes collectively earned a record-setting grade-point average for the fifth-straight year, the University of Hartford and University of New Hampshire will share the conference's 2016-17 Walter Harrison Academic Cup. Hartford and UNH student-athletes each had institutional GPAs of 3.31 to pace America East's nine member institutions.
The 3.31 GPAs are the highest ever for an America East institution. It is the third time two institutions have shared the Academic Cup (2014-15, 2006-07).
The Academic Cup, established by the America East Board of Directors in 1995, is presented to the institution(s) whose student-athletes post the highest grade-point average during that academic year. The award was named for outgoing University of Hartford President Walter Harrison on June 21, 2017. Announcement
Need to Know
- America East student-athletes averaged a 3.18 GPA overall in 2016-17 besting last year's record mark of 3.15. This is the fifth-straight year a new standard has been set.
- Eight of the nine America East institutions averaged better than a 3.0 GPA in 2016-17.
- 85 percent (115-of-135) of teams averaged better than a 3.0 GPA collectively in 2016-17, up 10 percent from 2015-16.
- Programs in 15 of the America East's 17 sponsored sports averaged better than a 3.0 GPA and every sport averaged a 2.90 GPA or better.
- Hartford women's cross country had the highest team GPA of any program (3.66).
- Three programs that had the highest GPA in the conference in their sport also won America East championships: Stony Brook men's cross country, UMBC women's swimming & diving, Albany men's lacrosse.
- It is the sixth Academic Cup overall for Hartford and its fifth in the last six years (1996-97, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17).
- The Academic Cup is New Hampshire's third straight and fifth in school history (1998-99, 1999-2000, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17).
- Walter Harrison Academic Cup All-Time Winners
2016-17 America East Walter Harrison Academic Cup Standings
Rank School GPA
| T1. Hartford |
|
3.31 |
| New Hampshire |
3.31 |
| 3. UMass Lowell |
3.20 |
| T4. Albany |
|
3.19 |
| Binghamton |
3.19 |
| 6. Stony Brook |
|
3.17 |
| 7. Vermont |
|
3.14 |
| 8. Maine |
|
3.13 |
| 9. UMBC |
2.99
|
Sport GPA Champions
- Baseball – Hartford (3.32)
- Men's Basketball – Hartford (3.22)
- Women's Basketball – Maine (3.37)
- Men's Cross Country – Tie Hartford, UNH, Stony Brook^ and Vermont (3.26)
- Women's Cross Country – Hartford (3.66)
- Field Hockey – Vermont (3.48)
- Men's Lacrosse – Albany*^ (3.27)
- Women's Lacrosse – UNH (3.41)
- Men's Soccer – Hartford (3.27)
- Women's Soccer – Hartford* (3.61)
- Softball – Hartford (3.43)
- Women's Swimming and Diving – UMBC^ (3.29)
- Men's Indoor Track and Field – UNH (3.24)
- Women's Indoor Track and Field – Hartford (3.49)
- Men's Outdoor Track and Field – UNH (3.25)
- Women's Outdoor Track and Field – Hartford (3.49)
- Volleyball – Hartford (3.60)
*AE regular-season champion
^AE champion
America East is proud to have one of most comprehensive academic awards programs in the country, which honors over two-thirds of its student-athletes for their success in the classroom. Learn more about the conference's academic awards program.
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.