CHICAGO (July 27, 2016) 鈥� Fifty-five 萝莉社 student-athletes were named to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) winter and spring teams this month, and four student-athletes earned Jack Swartz Academic All-Conference honors.
The Swartz Award is given to one male and one female athlete from each CCIW school at the end of each season. To be eligible, students must have an overall grade point average of at least 3.50 and must have lettered in their sport that season.
North Park鈥檚 winter 2015鈥�2016 Swartz Award recipients were track and field athletes Natalie Swanson, a May and graduate of Manlius, Ill., and rising junior major of J枚nk枚ping, Sweden. Spring 2016 Swartz Award-winners were May graduate (softball) of Libertyville, Ill., and rising junior student Josh Smith (baseball) of Lake in the Hills, Ill.
Academic All-Conference selections are chosen based on individual student-athletes maintaining an overall grade point average of at least 3.30 and lettering in their sport that season. .
On the heels of that recognition, the Vikings also received the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) 聽for the 2015鈥�2016 academic year, one of two CCIW programs to do so. In order to qualify for the award, teams must carry a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 throughout the academic year.
鈥淭his is an especially gratifying recognition for our program,鈥� said Head Baseball Coach . 鈥淲e are one of only 32 NCAA Division III teams honored鈥攐ut of 384 with baseball programs鈥攁nd one of 82 NCAA Division I, II, or III nationally. This puts us in the top 8.5 percent of grade point averages for Division III as well as the NCAA as a whole.鈥�
Johnson credits the baseball program with helping to prepare students for life after graduation. 鈥淎t the end of the day, their academic performance is what sets them up for the next phase of their lives,鈥� he said of his student-athletes. 鈥淲hat this says is that the lessons that they learn about competing and producing, the lessons that are reinforced in the discipline of practicing and playing college baseball, clearly become a part of their identity as people.鈥�
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