Clemson, SC—Clemson’s 15 sports programs had an overall grade point average  of 2.97 for the Spring 2009 semester, the highest on record, according to data released Friday  by the school’s Department of Institutional Research. The previous mark was 2.93 set in the spring of 2007.
           Additionally, 242 of the 448 student-athletes were named to the academic honor roll (3.0 or better), 54 percent.  That is a record for the highest percentage of student-athletes on the academic honor roll for one semester.
           “We are very proud of this report,” said Clemson Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips.  “We are closing in on a 3.0 GPA average for our athletic programs, which is outstanding.  There has been consistency in academic excellence for our programs and it is a testimony to the hard work of our staff at Vickery Hall, led by Becky Bowman, and to the importance our coaches are placing on academics. Department wide we are in good shape in terms of our graduation rate, APR scores, and grade point averages.”

           Seven programs earned a 3.0 or better for the semester, including the women’s swimming (3.48) and women’s soccer teams (3.47).   Those GPAs rank as the fourth and fifth best on record, respectively,  for any Clemson sports program since statistics were first calculated in 1987. The all-time record is a 3.64 by the women’s tennis team in the spring of 1995.
           Nineteen of the 23 members of the women’s soccer team made the academic honor roll, while 31 of the 36 members of the women’s swimming team made the 3.0 level or better.

           Also earning over a 3.0 team GPA were the men’s soccer team (3.18), the men’s swimming program (3.09), the men’s tennis program (3.11), and the women’s track team (3.31)..  The women’s track team’s 3.31 team GPA was the highest on record for that program, while the men’s soccer’s 3.18 team GPA ranked second best in the last 16 semesters.  The men’s tennis team’s 3.11 team GPA was the second best on record for that program.

           The Clemson football team had a record 44 of its 96 student-athletes earn a 3.0 or better.  The previous record was 41 during  the fall of 2000.  The team GPA in Dabo Swinney’s first full semester as head coach was 2.61, the second highest team GPA on record.
           The list of football team members on the academic honor roll included starters Kevin Alexander, Thomas Austin, DaQuan Bowers, Mason Cloy, Rashaad Jackson, Jimmy Maners, Brandon Maye, Akeem Robinson, and Ricky Sapp.  Thirteen of the players on the roster made the Dean’s List, including starting offensive guard Thomas Austin and starting middle linebacker Brandon Maye, who are both returning academic All-ACC players.
           The football program had the most academic honor roll members (44), seven more than the rowing program.  It marked the first time since the spring of 2002 that the football team had the department best for academic honor roll members.           

           Clemson’s women’s rowing program finished 12th in the nation and won the. ACC Championship in the spring semester.  In the classroom Richard Ruggieri’s team had a 3.17 GPA  and  had 37 student-athletes on the academic honor roll.  The list of rowers on the academic honor roll included All-Americans Jessica Leidecker and Brittany Cummings and four members of the National Championship 4+ boat, Allison Colberg, Callen Erdeky, Kelly Murphy and Meredith Razzolini.

           The most improved program academically was the women’s basketball team, which improved from a 2.10 GPA in the fall to a 2.68 in the spring.  Six members of the squad posted a 3.0 or better.
           Other prominent student-athletes on the academic honor roll included Mike Freeman (baseball), Ben Martin (golf), Tanner Smith and Andre Young (men’s basketball), Nathan Thornton and Bryson Moore (men’s soccer),  Tasha Taylor (women’s basketball), Julie Bolt (women’s soccer), Michelle Parkhurst (women’s swimming), and Ina Hadziselimovic (women’s tennis).

Team GPAs for Spring 2009

      Baseball                                     2.69

      Men’s Basketball                        2.37

      Women’s Basketball                  2.68

      Football                                      2.61

      Golf                                            2.93

      Rowing                                       3.17

      Men’s Soccer                             3.18

      Women’s Soccer                       3.47

      Men’s Swimming                       3.09

      Women’s Swimming                  3.48

      Men’s Tennis                              3.11

      Women’s Tennis                        2.86

      Men’s Track                               2.79

      Women’s Track                         3.31

      Volleyball                                    2.71

      Overall                                       2.97

Spring 2009 Student-Athlete Honor Roll

Baseball (10):

Kevin Brady, Mike Freeman, Ryan Hinson, Richard Mounce, Philip Pohl, Jason Stolz, Graham Stoneburner, Josh Thraikill, Matt Vaughn, Adam Ward

Football (44):

Spencer Adams, Kevin Alexander, Dwayne Allen, Thomas Austin, Spencer Benton, Da’Quan Bowers, Jaron Brown, Kantrell Brown, Miquel Chavis, Brandon Clear, Byron Clear, Mason Cloy, John Early, Andre Ellington, Brandon Ford, Dalton Freeman, Rashard Hall, Brian Hill, Stanley Hunter, Rashaad Jackson, JK Jay, Kyle Johnson, Marquan Jones, Willy Korn, Carlton Lewis, Jimmy Maners, Bryon Maxwell, Brandon Maye, Cameron O’Sullivan, Ben Ramsey, Chris Richardson, Jon Richt, Akeem Robinson, Tarik Rollins, Matt Sanders, Ricky Sapp, Caleb Simmons, Matt Skinner, David Smith, Preston Stone, Rendrick Taylor, Michael Wade, Conner Webb, Dawson Zimmerman

Golf (7):

Alex Boyd, Brewer Bradshaw, Jacob Burger, McCuen Elmore, Ben Martin, Michael Muscatell, Michael Soowal

Men’s Basketball (3):

Tanner Smith, Jesse Yanutola, Andre Young

Men’s Soccer (15):

Michael Brooks, Nicj Burton, Greg Eckhardt, Bo Godwin, Hassan Ibrahim, Bryson Moore, David Newton, Richard Nova, Keegan Priest, Parker Rogers, Scott Rosman, Austin Savage, J.D. Spearman, Nathan Thornton, Mackenzie Ward

Men’s Swimming and Diving (15):

Matt Angelini, Derek Barre, Seth Broster, Alex  Carr, Trey Charlton, Will Clark, Scott Clary, Chris Dart, Harry Foster, Lee Groseclose, Chase Henderson, Josef Knecht, Ryan McDaniel, Brian Possee, Chris Reinke

Men’s Track and Field (10):

Zach Berg, Chad Holt, Patrick Jagielski, Kamal Marell, Marquel Matthews, John Mills, Tyler Morey, Miller Moss, Shane Reighard, Travis Swaggard

Men’s Tennis (7):

Ike Belk, Rok Bizjak, Taylor Cohen, Derek Difazio, Kevin Galloway, Wesley Moran, Robert Pietrucha

Rowing (37):

Jenn Agee, Andrea Belbusti, Megan Bendik, Kathleen Biladeau, Nicole Bowen, Nicole Brown, Amanda Chivers, Allison Colberg, Brittany Cummings, Katherine Dixon, McKenzie DuBrul, Elizabeth England, Carla Englund, Callen Erdeky, Emily Forney, Jessica Gaul, Connie Gorman, Victoria Graham, Paige Griffith, Savannah Hayes, Marissa Henry, Taylor Hoynacki, Jessica Leidecker, Jayme Looper, Melanie McDaniel, Kelly Murphy, Michelle Nance, Bre Przestrzelski, Nicole Rau, Meredith Razzolini, Brittany Robinson, Olivia Shomaker, Carly Summers, Mairi Trimboli, Melissa Weaver, Grace Wolff, Jenna Zylstra

Volleyball (4):

Brittany Fennell, Brooke Kohler, Kelsey Murphy, Katie Sharpe

Women’s Basketball (6):

Christy Brown, Lindsey Mason, Chelsey Pinkstaff, Jasmine Tate, Tasha Taylor, Kirstyn Wright

Women’s Soccer (19):

Mia Alphonso, Sofia Blanco, Lily Boleyn, Julie Bolt, Tara Cort, Judea Davis, K.K. Duffy, Marci Elpers, Jennifer Ficklen, Samantha Fortier, Molly Franklin, Lindsey Jackson, Sarah Jacobs, Abby Lambert, Paula Pritzen, Lia Schendel, Danielle Schmitt, Meghan Smith, Kathryn Vogel

Women’s Swimming and Diving (31):

Crina Aeschbacher, Kati Aggas, Alex Allen, Sarah Bechard, Ashley Clay, Kelly Fowler, Stephanie Fura, Brooke George, Carmen Groenewoud, Kelly Hendershot, Rachel Hesler, Toni Kroll, Kelli Kyle, Allison Lapp, Cassy LaRussa, Kerry McLaughlin, Meggie Mizelle, Katrina Obas, Summer O’Donnell, Michelle Parkhurst, Sarah Porri, Rachel Regone, Elizabeth Savage, Caitlin Seed, Cassie Self, Lauren Sindall, Sarah Smith, Rachel Sparks, Maddie Tarantolo, Jennifer Voelkert, Ali Zacker

Women’s Track and Field (29):

Kelsey Armstrong, Jenna Baker, Carlin Bartlett, Maggie Bernard, Lisa Brown, Linda Buchholz, Stephanie Buffo, Sunday Ford, Lilla Fordos, Michaylin Golladay, Ashley Good, Taylor Hughes, Candice Johnson, Caroline Kennedy, Lauren Klas, Rochelle Kokayko, Alyssa Kulik, Nikola Lomnicka’, Patricia Mamona, Amy Morrison, Ra’sheena Parker, Kim Ruck, Candace Sapp, Chelsea Shugars, Brannon Sulka, Ashley Vaughn, Liane Weber, Anastasia Wilson, Kristen Zeleznik

Women’s Tennis (4):

Estefania Balda, Ina Hadziselimovic, Federica Van Adrichem, Keri Wong