ST. LOUIS – Illinois State finished as the second runner-up for the 2015-16 Missouri Valley Conference All-Academic Award, marking the Redbirds' best finish in the race for the Valley's annual academic award honoring the league institution posting the top grade-point average (GPA) in a given academic year.
Bradley claimed the 2015-16 MVC All-Academic Award, finishing just ahead of Drake and Illinois State.
"We emphasize that our primary core value is that we are in the education business. Thus, our student-athletes are focused on competing at a high level in the classroom as Illinois State continues to attract high-performing students in record numbers," said Illinois State Director of Athletics Larry Lyons. "I would also like to thank our academic support staff, our academic advisors and our coaches for their support of the academic priorities of our student-athletes."
Illinois State had a banner year in the classroom in 2015-16, as Redbird student-athletes set a new standard for academic success with a record-setting 3.23 GPA during the Spring 2016 semester. A record 89 student-athletes earned perfect 4.0 GPAs during the spring semester, while 295 were named to the AFNI Honor Roll, a number equal to 72 percent of all Redbird student-athletes.
In the Fall 2015 semester, ISU student-athletes posted a 3.15 GPA, falling just short of the previous GPA record of 3.16, set during the Fall 2014 semester. A total of 71 student-athletes earned 4.0 GPAs and 294 were named to the AFNI Honor Roll.
Four Illinois State student-athletes earned the Valley's President's Council Academic Award, the league's highest academic honor, during the 2015-16 academic year: Jacob Hendren (baseball), Ashley Rosch (volleyball), Kelly Sanks (swimming and diving) and Kadi Ilves (women's tennis). Illinois State led the conference with 97 MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award honorees and also placed a league-leading 238 student-athletes on the MVC Honor Roll.
Illinois State swept the Valley's annual Dr. Charlotte West Awards, honoring one male and one female student-athlete with outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, service and leadership. The Valley's selection of Hendren and Rosch marked the first time in the 17-year history of the award that both male and female honorees represented the same school.
Illinois State recently recognized its student-athletes' academic success with The Reggies, held Oct. 23 at Redbird Arena. Â
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