Men’s Cross Country Team Receives Public Recognition Awards
5/12/2020 3:19:01 PM | Men's Cross Country
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Six Ohio State teams – men’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, women’s soccer and men’s tennis – have been honored with public recognition awards for academic performance, the NCAA announced Tuesday. The awards are given each year to teams scoring in the Top 10 percent in each sport based on their most recent multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR). The six teams recognized matches the Ohio State high, also set in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years.
In the 16th year of APR data for most teams, the scores provide 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 academic eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team’s academic performance. The most recent APR scores are based on a multi-year rate that averages scores from the 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 academic years.
Dr. John Davidson, Ohio State Faculty Athletics Representative, highlighted the work needed to succeed academically and is especially impressed by the six teams listed among the Top 10 honorees.
“Maintaining a high score in the multi-year rate exemplifies the commitment to the whole student-athlete that is at the core of our athletics culture: our men’s cross country and golf teams, along with women’s gymnastics, have shown the consistency to be named to this prestigious list. Women’s golf and women’s soccer have returned to the list after being honored last year as well and men’s tennis has achieved a three-peat.”
Davidson noted Ohio State places an emphasis on academics throughout the athletics department.
“This is genuinely a reflection of the attention paid to academics right from the outset. Coaches make it a central focus in recruiting and maintain that focus in planning and programming. Athletics leadership dedicates itself to providing every opportunity that can advance the cause of education. And, the dedication of our academic support staff in SASSO is unparalleled. But ultimately, of course, it is the hard work and ability of these remarkable young student-athletes that makes all the difference.”
The Buckeye men’s cross country squad earns its first public recognition award since 2012-13 and the program’s second award. The team, under the direction of coach Khadevis Robinson, raced for a ninth place finish at the NCAA Division I Great Lakes Regional this year with 326 points in a field of 29 teams. The finish was the second-highest since 2013, when the Buckeyes finished seventh at the regional championships.
