Baseball | September 07, 2017

CLEVELAND– Western Michigan University has been named the winner of the 2016-17 Mid-American Conference Institutional Academic Achievement Award. Western Michigan posted an overall athletic grade point average (GPA) of 3.253 for the 2016-17 academic year based on 398 students in 15 MAC sports.

This marks the first time for the Western Michigan athletic program to earn this prestigious honor.

"We could not be more proud of our entire body of student-athletes for this incredible academic achievement," said WMU Director of Athletics Kathy Beauregard. "While we have had great success in competition over the past year, the Institutional Academic Achievement award is by far our greatest accomplishment. In addition to recognizing our student-athletes and coaching staffs, I would also like to thank Jeff Stone and the rest of our academic staff for their tireless efforts to make sure our student-athletes are supported in their educational endeavors."

The Institutional Academic Achievement Award is presented annually to the MAC institution which achieves the highest overall institutional GPA for student-athletes competing in institutionally sponsored sports for the academic year. A list of each top-three school's 2016-17 GPA follows:

Institution                    Sports   Student-Athletes   GPA
Western Michigan         15            398                     3.253
Bowling Green                17            399                     3.243
Toledo                             16            363                     3.234

In addition to the overall Institutional Academic Achievement Award, it was announced on Sept. 5 that Western Michigan was also the recipient of the MAC's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) Men's Academic Achievement Award.

The FAR Awards are designed to recognize the conference institution with the overall highest-grade point average (GPA) rank by gender. It marked the fifth time the Bronco men have won the FAR award. Besides WMU, only two other institutions have won the award, with Toledo winning three times and Miami taking the honor twice.

Institutional Academic Achievement Award (announced Sept. 7)
2016-17    Western Michigan University
2015-16    University of Toledo
2014-15    University of Toledo
2013-14    Miami University
2012-13    University of Toledo
2011-12     University of Toledo
2010-11     University of Akron
2009-10     Bowling Green State University
2008-09     Ball State University
2007-08     Northern Illinois University
2006-07     Central Michigan University
2005-06     Central Michigan University
2004-05     Central Michigan University
2003-04     Central Michigan University
2002-03     Central Michigan University
2001-02     Central Michigan University
2000-01     Bowling Green State University
1999-00     Central Michigan University
1998-99     Central Michigan University
1997-98      Central Michigan University
1996-97    Ball State University and Central Michigan University (tie)
1995-96    Bowling Green State University
1994-95    Bowling Green State University

Men's Faculty Athletics Representative Academic Achievement Award (announced Sept. 5)
2016-17    Western Michigan University
2015-16    University of Toledo
2014-15    Miami University
2013-14    Miami University
2012-13    Western Michigan University
2011-12    Western Michigan University
2010-11    University of Toledo
2009-10    University of Toledo
2008-09    Western Michigan University
2007-08    Western Michigan University