Trio of Western Illinois Programs Earn OVC Overall/Team Academic Award

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 | By: WIU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

MACOMB, Ill. / BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – The winners of the 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference Institutional and Team Academic Achievement Awards have been announced.

The overall Institutional Achievement award, presented annually to the member institution with the greatest percentage of its eligible student-athletes that earn a 3.25-grade point average or higher for that academic year, was won by Southern Indiana, which earned the award for the second straight season.

The OVC Team Academic Achievement Awards, presented annually in each Conference-sponsored sport to the member institution's team with the greatest percentage of its eligible student-athletes who achieved a 3.25 grade point average or higher, were awarded in 18 sports.

In total, 11 different member institutions garnered at least one team award. Western Illinois University finished with three teams earning the honor as women's basketball, women's golf, and women's tennis all earned the top marks for their respective sports.

It's not the first time all three programs have been honored for their academic excellence during the 2023-24 academic year.

The Women's College Basketball Association recently announced the Leatherneck women's basketball program posted the second-highest GPA in Division I women's basketball. The Western Illinois women's tennis team earned International Tennis Association All-Academic Team honors, and women's golf had five student-athletes named Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholars.

UT Martin led the OVC, claiming four teams, followed closely by Southeast Missouri and Western Illinois with three apiece. Eastern Illinois and Southern Indiana also earned multiple awards with two.

The team/institution honorees are:
Baseball: Lindenwood
Men's Basketball: Southern Indiana & UT Martin
Women's Basketball: Western Illinois
Beach Volleyball: Tennessee Tech
Men's Cross Country: Southeast Missouri
Women's Cross Country: Southeast Missouri
Football: UT Martin
Men's Golf: UT Martin
Women's Golf: Little Rock & Western Illinois
Rifle: Morehead State
Men's Soccer: Liberty
Women's Soccer: Eastern Illinois
Softball: Southern Indiana
Men's Tennis: Tennessee State
Women's Tennis: Western Illinois
Men's Track and Field: Southeast Missouri
Women's Track and Field: Eastern Illinois
Women's Volleyball: UT Martin

The awards cap the announcements regarding the 2023-24 academic year awards. It was previously announced that 1,630 OVC student-athletes were named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll (for having a 3.25 GPA or better) while 310 student-athletes achieved perfect 4.0 GPAs to earn the OVC Academic Medal of Honor.

Print Friendly Version

Upcoming Events and Recent Results

Related Videos

Related Stories