Men's Basketball & Women's Cross Country Honored by NCAA
May 12, 2010 | Track and Field
May 12, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS - Texas A&M men's basketball and women's cross country teams were publicly recognized by the NCAA for outstanding academic progress.
Each year the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR). The two programs have posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads that participate in their respective sports.
"Coach (Mark) Turgeon and Coach (Pat) Henry are to be commended, as well as the academic support staff, for this recognition by the NCAA," Aggie Director of Athletics Bill Byrne said. "I believe all of our coaches understand the commitment to academic excellence, progress, retention and graduation of our student-athletes here at Texas A&M."
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.
The men's basketball program has set a school record with five straight NCAA Championship appearances and only Texas A&M and the University of Pittsburgh have reached the second round of the tournament for five straight years.
"I am proud of the young men who have made the commitment to academic and athletic success," Coach Turgeon said. "We continue to look for outstanding basketball players who have a desire to achieve success in all areas of their life. I would also like to commend our academic advisor, Garry Gibson. He is just like a coach, only in the academic area."
Coach Henry has helped lead the men's and women's track and field teams to the 2009 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships and both programs are ranked #1 entering the Big 12 Outdoor Track and Field Championships this week in Columbia, Missouri. In addition to cross country action in the fall, the middle distance and distance runners also contribute to the Aggie program during the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
"Any athlete has to have a dedication and desire to be their best when they step into competitions, and the same competitive drive goes in the classrooms as well," Coach Henry said. "I am proud of our women's cross country team for being honored by the NCAA. Chris Barttelbort is our scholastic supervisor and he does a great job with all of our student-athletes."
