Pirate Student-Athletes Lauded For Academic Achievements
July 20, 2023 | General
IRVING, Texas – The East Carolina baseball and women's golf teams have received American Athletic Conference Team Academic Excellence Awards for the 2022-23 school year, according to an announcement by the league Thursday morning.
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The Pirate baseball squad captured the honor for an unprecedented eighth-straight season while the women's golf team was recognized for the first time since 2017-18. The award goes to the team with the highest annual grade point average in each sport the conference sponsors. Â
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In addition to the baseball and women's golf teams' recognition, 267 Pirate student-athletes were named to the 2022-23 AAC All-Academic Team. To be eligible for the honor, a nominee must have competed in an American Athletic Conference-sponsored sport, attained a minimum grade-point average of 3.00 for the preceding academic year, and completed a minimum of two consecutive semesters or three consecutive quarters of academic work, with a total of 18 semester or 27 quarter credits, not including remedial courses.
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The four-time defending AAC regular season champion ECU baseball club sported a 3.57 cumulative grade point average in 2022-23 and has registered a 3.41 or higher GPA for the past six academic cycles - including a program-best 3.64 mark in 2020-21. The squad posted a fall GPA of 3.62 and followed it up with a 3.52 showing in the spring.
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Under Head Coach Cliff Godwin, a two-time Academic All-America selection as a player at ECU, the Pirates have put upwards of 400 student-athletes on the East Carolina Director of Athletics Honor Roll (3.0 or higher GPA). In Godwin's nine years leading the program, over 150 players have earned AAC All-Academic Team honors – including 35 members of the 2023 team.
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The women's golf team had all seven of its student-athletes earn a spot on the 2022-23 AAC All-Academic Team. The squad produced a 3.76 GPA, including a 3.66 in the fall and 3.86 in the spring.
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A total of 10 Pirate squads put at least 80 percent of its roster on the AAC All-Academic Team, including baseball (35 of 38/92.1 percent), men's golf (8 of 9/88.9 percent), women's basketball (12 of 15/80 percent), women's golf (7 of 7/100 percent), lacrosse (30 of 32/93.8 percent), soccer (25 of 29/86.2 percent), softball (21 of 23/91.3 percent), swimming and diving (23 of 27/85.2 percent), women's tennis (8 of 8/100 percent) and volleyball (16 of 17/94.1 percent).
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Nominations for the All-Academic Team are submitted by each of the American Athletic Conference's member institutions. They are then reviewed and approved by the American Athletic Conference Academic Affairs Committee.
2022-23 AAC Team Academic Excellence Awards
Baseball – East Carolina
Men's Basketball – Cincinnati
Women's Basketball – Cincinnati
Men's Cross Country – Cincinnati
Women's Cross Country – SMU
Football – Cincinnati
Men's Golf – Wichita State
Women's Golf – East Carolina
Women's Lacrosse – Cincinnati
Women's Rowing – UCF
Men's Soccer – UCF
Women's Soccer – Memphis
Softball – Wichita State
Men's Swimming and Diving – Cincinnati
Women's Swimming and Diving – Houston
Men's Tennis – South Florida
Women's Tennis – Cincinnati
Men's Indoor Track and Field – Tulsa
Women's Indoor Track and Field – Tulsa
Men's Outdoor Track and Field – Tulsa
Women's Outdoor Track and Field – Tulsa
Women's Volleyball – Memphis
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The Pirate baseball squad captured the honor for an unprecedented eighth-straight season while the women's golf team was recognized for the first time since 2017-18. The award goes to the team with the highest annual grade point average in each sport the conference sponsors. Â
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In addition to the baseball and women's golf teams' recognition, 267 Pirate student-athletes were named to the 2022-23 AAC All-Academic Team. To be eligible for the honor, a nominee must have competed in an American Athletic Conference-sponsored sport, attained a minimum grade-point average of 3.00 for the preceding academic year, and completed a minimum of two consecutive semesters or three consecutive quarters of academic work, with a total of 18 semester or 27 quarter credits, not including remedial courses.
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The four-time defending AAC regular season champion ECU baseball club sported a 3.57 cumulative grade point average in 2022-23 and has registered a 3.41 or higher GPA for the past six academic cycles - including a program-best 3.64 mark in 2020-21. The squad posted a fall GPA of 3.62 and followed it up with a 3.52 showing in the spring.
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Under Head Coach Cliff Godwin, a two-time Academic All-America selection as a player at ECU, the Pirates have put upwards of 400 student-athletes on the East Carolina Director of Athletics Honor Roll (3.0 or higher GPA). In Godwin's nine years leading the program, over 150 players have earned AAC All-Academic Team honors – including 35 members of the 2023 team.
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The women's golf team had all seven of its student-athletes earn a spot on the 2022-23 AAC All-Academic Team. The squad produced a 3.76 GPA, including a 3.66 in the fall and 3.86 in the spring.
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A total of 10 Pirate squads put at least 80 percent of its roster on the AAC All-Academic Team, including baseball (35 of 38/92.1 percent), men's golf (8 of 9/88.9 percent), women's basketball (12 of 15/80 percent), women's golf (7 of 7/100 percent), lacrosse (30 of 32/93.8 percent), soccer (25 of 29/86.2 percent), softball (21 of 23/91.3 percent), swimming and diving (23 of 27/85.2 percent), women's tennis (8 of 8/100 percent) and volleyball (16 of 17/94.1 percent).
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Nominations for the All-Academic Team are submitted by each of the American Athletic Conference's member institutions. They are then reviewed and approved by the American Athletic Conference Academic Affairs Committee.
2022-23 AAC Team Academic Excellence Awards
Baseball – East Carolina
Men's Basketball – Cincinnati
Women's Basketball – Cincinnati
Men's Cross Country – Cincinnati
Women's Cross Country – SMU
Football – Cincinnati
Men's Golf – Wichita State
Women's Golf – East Carolina
Women's Lacrosse – Cincinnati
Women's Rowing – UCF
Men's Soccer – UCF
Women's Soccer – Memphis
Softball – Wichita State
Men's Swimming and Diving – Cincinnati
Women's Swimming and Diving – Houston
Men's Tennis – South Florida
Women's Tennis – Cincinnati
Men's Indoor Track and Field – Tulsa
Women's Indoor Track and Field – Tulsa
Men's Outdoor Track and Field – Tulsa
Women's Outdoor Track and Field – Tulsa
Women's Volleyball – Memphis
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