For the first time in school history, the Northern Illinois women’s cross country program has earned a Public Recognition Award from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for achieving an Academic Progress Rate (APR) that ranks in the Top 10 percent of all NCAA women’s cross country teams this year.
The NCAA released its list of Public Recognition Award winners in all sports Wednesday and will release the full report of multiyear APRs for all Division I sports teams on June 11.
Women’s cross country is the 10th Huskie team all-time, and the seventh different NIU sport to earn a Public Recognition Award since the program began in 2004-05. At least one Northern Illinois team has ranked in the Top 10 percent for multiyear APR in its respective sport in seven of the last eight years.
Greg Hipp
“Congratulations to our women’s cross country team, led by head coach Greg Hipp and Director of Track and Field Connie Teaberry, on receiving a Public Recognition Award from the NCAA for their most recent Academic Progress Rate,” said NIU Acting Athletics Director Christian Spears.
“It’s gratifying to see the many different Northern Illinois teams that have been honored over the years, and is an indication of the emphasis our coaches, student-athletes and staff place on academic success.”
The APR tracks the progress of each student-athlete on scholarship on every Division I team based on eligibility, graduation and retention, providing a real-time look at each team’s academic success each semester. The most recent multi-year APRs are based on scores from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years.
Each year, the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR). These awards highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving multiyear APRs ranked in the top 10 percent of all squads within their respective sports.
For more information on NIU cross country and Huskie athletics, visit www.niuhuskies.com.
