CLEVELAND -- The Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) announced 646 honorees from six Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) have earned 2016-17 D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards. The Academic Achievement Awards is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level.
The Tiffin Dragons collected a league-best 141 recipients with former GLIAC member Findlay close behind with 139 designees. Grand Valley State (108), Michigan Tech (100), Wayne State (82) and Ashland (76) were also recognized on the achievement list.
In total, a record 10,644 student-athletes from 183 institutions are being recognized for the 2016-17 Academic Achievement Awards. For the fifth-consecutive year, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) had the most student-athletes honored with 1,022, followed by the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) with 941 student-athletes, and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) with 865 selections.
"As an Officer for the D2 ADA Board, I have been pleased to see the increase in the number of student-athletes recognized for their academic achievements," said D2 ADA President Scott Wiegandt, director of athletics at Bellarmine University. "This program is a point of pride for our current D2 ADA member institutions and a great way to recognize the achievements of their student athletes. On behalf of the D2 ADA we celebrate these academic accolades and are proud of your accomplishments."
In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the athletics director of the Division II institution MUST BE a CURRENT dues-paying member of the D2 ADA.
Also, the student-athlete must:
- have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
- have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work
- have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year
About D2 ADA: The D2 ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors. For more information about the D2 ADA, please visit www.div2ada.com. The D2 ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 53rd year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.
