UAA Announces 16th Annual Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team
The University Athletic Association announced the members of the 16
th annual UAA Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team. The team comprises 152 student-athletes representing all UAA member institutions across sports. To achieve this recognition, a student-athlete is required to earn first team All-Association honors and must carry a 3.50 or greater cumulative grade point average through the playing season of their sport. Student-athletes must have completed one full year at that institution to qualify.
Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Release
Of this year’s 152 honorees, 21 were named the most outstanding performer or most valuable player in their sport by their respective UAA coaches’ group and two were awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
The UAA Presidents Council created this special recognition in 2009. The original recommendation to establish this honor came from the UAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was supported by the Athletic Administrators and Delegates Committees.
The UAA has recognized exceptional academic achievement by its student-athletes since 1998 when the Presidents Council established a program of All-Academic recognition for student-athletes who carry a cumulative grade point average that meets the threshold for Academic All-America
® recognition. On average, approximately 65% of eligible sophomore, junior, and senior student-athletes from UAA member teams have met that threshold each year.
“The UAA Presidents Scholar-Athlete Team was a concept originally proposed by the UAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to recognize student-athletes who have reached the highest levels of both academic and athletic success. In my first year as UAA Commissioner, I have been continually impressed by all our student-athletes - and I am particularly in awe of the way these young people pursue excellence in all facets of their student experience,” said UAA Commissioner Sarah Otey.
As a group, UAA student-athletes and teams have consistently demonstrated high levels of both academic and athletic achievement. The UAA Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team recognition demonstrates the success of these principles at the level of the individual student-athlete.