St. John's University Athletics
Five Red Storm Program's Recognized By NCAA
5/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | General
May 8, 2014
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's women's cross country, women's fencing, women's golf, women's volleyball and women's soccer squads were among the 1,049 Division I sports team recognized by the NCAA for their exceptional work in the classroom, as part of the NCAA's Academic Performance Program.
Each of St. John's 17 varsity athletic programs posted a satisfactory four-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, with the Red Storm's women's cross country (1,000), women's fencing (1,000), women's golf (1,000), women's volleyball (1,000) and women's soccer (997) teams recording marks in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. The 1,000-point totals represent perfect scores for the Red Storm women's cross country, women's fencing, women's golf and women's volleyball teams.
This is the fifth-straight year that the women's soccer program has recorded an outstanding APR number. Women's soccer was also recognized in 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. Women's golf has received a perfect score three years in a row, while the women's fencing team has earned a perfect score in back-to-back years. Since 2004-05, women's golf has been in the top 10 percent on five occasions.
"Our student-athletes maintain a standard of excellence in balancing the academic and competitive rigors of Division I athletics. We continue to be proud of how they represent St. John's University," said Chris Monasch, Red Storm Director of Athletics.
Based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APRs), 1,049 teams (631 women's teams and 418 men's or mixed squads) have earned NCAA Public Recognition Awards, up from the 976 teams last year. The awards are given annually to teams scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport in their APRs in the last four years. The lists of recognized teams are available by sport, by institution and through a searchable database.
Each year, the NCAA tracks the classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I team through the annual scorecard of academic achievement, known as APR. The rate measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance in each sport. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-2012 and 2012-13 academic years.
High-performing teams receiving public recognition awards this year posted APR scores ranging from 980 to a perfect 1,000. The number of teams in some sports may exceed 10 percent depending on how many achieved perfect scores. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years. As APR scores improve, the threshold for teams to earn a place in the top 10 percent in their sport continues to rise.
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.
Women's soccer has consistently been an academic success for St. John's, earning the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) team academic award for the 11th-consecutive season (2003-13) after boasting an all-time program-best 3.56 cumulative GPA. Additionally, the Red Storm tallied a 3.39 cumulative team GPA for both 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. The women's soccer squad has tallied 150 BIG EAST All-Academic Team honorees since 2007, including 22 in 2012-13. Since 2002, the women's soccer team has had 10 members inducted into the University's President's Society, serving as ambassadors from the President's office, the highest honor St. John's can bestow upon a student.
Since 2008, the women's golf team has garnered 34 BIG EAST All-Academic Team selections, with three NGCA All-American Scholar Team members in 2012-13. In addition, the team took home the 2009 BIG EAST Team Academic Award, while alumna Renee Cloutier won the 2009-10 St. John's Female BIG EAST Scholar Athlete Award.
The women's fencing team, in addition to recording 61 points to help lead St. John's to a bronze medal finish at the 2014 NCAA Championships, has had numerous individual academic honors over the past four years. Three-time first team all-American Evgeniya Kirpicheva was named to the Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District Women's At-Large First Team in 2012 and earned second team honors in 2011. She was also named All-America honorable mention in 2012-13. Naomi Cho and Zsofia Fath were inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society in 2013-14. In 2011-12, the women's fencing team boasted a 3.40 cumulative GPA; with a 3.35 cumulative GPA this past year. In the 2012-13 academic year, nine members of the fencing team earned Athletic Director Honor Roll Silver Award distinction, with Marta Hausman boasting a 4.0 GPA in Spring '13, earning the Gold Award.
Since 2009, the women's cross country team has garnered 25 BIG EAST All-Academic Team selections while being rewarded for its dedication in the classroom with United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) All-Academic Team status for the last seven years. In February of 2012, Nicole Cocozza received the American Eagle Outfitters BIG EAST Institutional Female Scholar-Athlete Award, while in this past July, cross country alumna Lori Dougherty received the prestigious Fulbright Student Grant to conduct research and teach overseas.
The volleyball team has achieved success in the classroom every year since its inception in 1994. Not only has team the accumulated a 3.0 overall GPA every season, it has also earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award eight times, including two recognitions since 2008 (2008-09, 2010-11). To earn this distinction from the AVCA, a team must reach an overall GPA of 3.30. With 12 honorees, 75% of the 2012-13 roster made the BIG EAST All-Academic team. Since 2008, the program has produced over 50 BIG EAST All-Academic Team selections. Volleyball also achieved great success during the fall 2013 semester, as it led all St. John's athletics programs in overall GPA (3.50).
A management major, Aleksandra Wachowicz of the Red Storm volleyball team was named an AVCA All-East Coast Region honorable mention and to the All-BIG EAST Second Team in her junior season, while maintaining a 3.98 cumulative GPA. Her academic success allowed Wachowicz​ to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team and on April 30, she was inducted into the President's Society at St. John's for the 2014-15 academic year. Wachowicz is preceded by Gabriela Petkova, a former SJU volleyball captain, who was inducted into the President's Society during the 2012-13 academic year. Petkova, an accounting major with a 3.89 GPA, also received CoSIDA Academic All-District honors in 2010.
