Student-athletes honored at 3.0. (Photo courtesy of Westfield State Sports)
WESTFIELD – A total of 248 Westfield State University student-athletes with cumulative grade point averages of 3.0 or better were honored at the Director of Athletics Honor Roll 3.0 Reception on February 7.
The 16th annual reception was held prior to the men’s ice hockey home game vs. Framingham State at the Amelia Park Arena reception rooms.
Westfield’s goal is for half of its student-athletes to obtain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, which was achieved during the fall 2012 semester with 52.6 percent of the varsity athletes (248 of 471) making the grade. Furthermore, 58.1 percent (274 of 471) of the student-athletes achieved a semester grade point average of 3.0 or better.
Just as notable, 11 of the 19 varsity teams achieved a team cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, led by women’s volleyball with an impressive 3.355. Fourteen of the 16 members of the volleyball team earned 3.0 cumulative GPAs. Women’s cross country ranked a close second with a 3.550 team cumulative grade point average.
Other notable teams were: women’s track and field (3.307), men’s cross country (3.305), women’s soccer (3.28), field hockey (3.23), women’s lacrosse (3.20), men’s golf (3.11), women’s swimming and diving (3.06), softball (3.04), and men’s track and field (3.00).
“Academics always will be a priority at Westfield and the 3.0 reception will give the athletes and the Westfield State community an opportunity to recognize the achievements and hard work put in by the student-athletes,” said Westfield athletics director Richard Lenfest.
Student Athlete Affairs, formally known as the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program, has helped student-athletes succeed in the classroom through study halls and other academic programs.
“The programs we run help the student-athletes strike a balance between school work and athletics,” said Westfield State associate athletic director Nancy Bals.
All freshmen athletes attend seven weeks of study hall and are also monitored through progress reports that are completed twice a semester.
“The goal is to facilitate the studying process for first year student-athletes and for them to learn how to manage their time,” said Bals.
The Westfield State University athletics department emphasizes that academics come first. Student-athletes are provided handbooks to help them with time management as well as meeting academic deadlines.
