April 26, 2007

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio volleyball and men's golf programs were recognized by the NCAA on Thursday, April 26 for ranking among the nation's top 10 percent in the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) report. Both teams achieved perfect scores of 1,000.

It is the second straight year that both programs have been recognized by the NCAA for their high APR scores. The latest figures were determined by utilizing data from the 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 academic years.

"I am extremely proud of this group of female student-athletes," said Head Volleyball Coach Geoff Carlston. "Every day they work to give this volleyball program and Ohio University their very best both on the court and in the classroom. Our staff tries to teach that the volleyball gym and classroom are the same stage, a place to challenge yourself, learn and grow. It means a lot to our program for us to be recognized by the NCAA with this academic award."

Ohio was one of seven MAC schools to have at least two teams on the NCAA's recognition list. The Bobcats were one of three MAC volleyball programs to earn the honor, while the men's golf program was one of four from the MAC to be given accolades.

"Our student-athletes take great pride in their academics," said Head Golf Coach Bob Cooley. "Their school work is their first priority. Our recruits know when they come to Ohio University, they will attend class and they will graduate."

The NCAA will release its full APR report next week.

The Academic Progress Rate was developed by the NCAA as a way to encourage academic performance of all student-athletes on all sports teams, reward institutions and teams that achieve academic success, and penalize those schools and teams that have a history of academic underachievement. The APR calculates an individual institution's level of academic achievement within its athletic program. Based upon the key factors of athletics eligibility and retention, these elements yield a numerical gauge of a programs' academic performance that can be compared to companion sports within a single program, against conference competitors or to national norms.