Elon saw a school-record four teams honored with the award -- football, women's soccer, softball and women's track & field.
The Colonial Athletic Association on Tuesday announced the recipients of the Team Academic Excellence Awards for the 2021-22 season.
This award recognizes the institution with the highest collective grade-point average in each of the 22 sports sponsored by the CAA. Elon saw a school-record four teams honored with the award — football, women’s soccer, softball and women’s track & field.
Team grade-point average is a calculation of the grade-point average of each student-athlete who appeared on an institution’s roster throughout the final day of their respective championship seasons during the 2021-22 academic year.
Elon and Drexel University led all CAA institutions with four teams recognized, followed by the University of Delaware and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with three each. Fifteen of the 22 squads honored accumulated a team grade-point average of 3.50 or higher.
Elon’s four honored teams excelled academically, with football posting a program-record 3.077 team grade-point average. Women’s soccer had a 3.706 team grade-point average, softball had a 3.682 and track & field posted a 3.619.
This is the second time Elon’s women’s soccer program has been honored in the five-year history of the CAA award. For football, softball and track & field, it is the first time being honored. Past CAA Team Academic Excellence Award winners are listed below.
- 2020-21: No honorees
- 2019-20: Not presented due to COVID-19
- 2018-19: Men’s Basketball, Women’s Soccer
- 2017-18: Men’s Cross Country, Men’s Golf
- 2016-17: Men’s Basketball, Men’s Cross Country
QUOTING THE COACHES
“This is another amazing accomplishment for these young ladies on the track & field team, and a testament to their dedication to excellence in all areas here at Elon. In my sixteen years here, the Phoenix track teams have exceeded a goal of a 3.0 GPA every semester! It’s an honor to be a part of such a hard-working group of young ladies presently, through the past season, and I am certain for years to come!” — Mark Elliston, Track & Field
“Our softball team takes great pride in everything they do involving being a student-athlete, from the softball side along with their academics. Receiving this award is proof of their daily hard work.” — Kathy Bocock, Softball
“Elon women’s soccer is proud to be the recipient of the CAA Team Academic Excellence Award for our sport. This is an impressive group of student-athletes, who work diligently every day in the pursuit of mastering both their academics and their sport.” — Neil Payne, Women’s Soccer
“Our guys have developed winning habits that will take them far beyond Elon Football. Each year our team must earn their names on the back of our jerseys by meeting academic goals. We have raised the goals each year and our players and support staff have accepted that challenge. We focus on winning habits every day and if we can win today, the championships will come.” — Tony Trisciani, Football