Biola Leads NAIA In Scholar Teams

For the fourth time in six years Biola University leads the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in Scholar Teams. The Eagles had 18 of 19 athletic programs receive the distinction in the 2014-15 school year, tying them with Campbellsville (Ky.), Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and Taylor (Ind.) for most in the nation.

 
The Biola Men's Golf team earned some individual recognition as the team with the fourth-best cumulative grade point average in the NAIA. Head Coach Hank Woodrome's squad posted a 3.82 team GPA to finish three spots behind the top team in the nation, Missouri Baptist's women's tennis team.
 
"We're very proud of our student-athletes and their academic accomplishments," said Athletic Director Dr. Dave Holmquist. "This achievement is reflective of the kind of coaches we have. They not only seek to win games, but also to recruit students who are a good fit for the university."
 
For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar-Team award, it must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). Each team GPA includes all eligible varsity student-athletes.
 
The NAIA recognized 1,502 athletic teams with Scholar Team honors in 2014-15. Of those 1,500-plus programs, 70 came from the Golden State Athletic Conference. In the conference, Biola led the way with its 18, Arizona Christian was second with 14 and Vanguard third with 10.

"To share the top spot for two consecutive years is especially encouraging," said Holmquist.
 
Biola's three programs with the highest GPA were men's golf, women's cross country (3.73) and women's indoor track & field (3.66). Men's golf saw the largest increase in cumulative GPA from last year, upping by 0.42 points from 3.40 to 3.82 over the course of 2014-15. On average, Biola's athletic program's team grade point averages are within two percent of the GPA posted the previous year.
 
Read the full NAIA release here.