JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville University student-athletes have once again set a new bar for academic performance. After the conclusion of the Spring 2023 term, the athletic department GPA came to 3.41, the highest semester mark in JU Athletics history.  Additionally, the academic year GPA record was also eclipsed, with a 3.39 GPA. Seventeen of the department's programs earned a 3.0 or higher this spring and a record fourteen teams earned a 3.3 or better. 

"Our student-athletes continue to set the standard in the classroom," Senior Vice President and Athletic Director Alex Ricker-Gilbert said. "The credit goes to them, first and foremost, but I would also like to thank our coaches and Student-Athlete Services department. Academic success will always be our first priority and our staff understand that. Student-Athlete Services, led by Andy Heston, provides a support mechanism for our student-athletes that is as good as any in the country. We also thank the JU faculty for continuing to foster an environment where our students can be successful and that adds a great deal to their experience. Congrats to all!"
 
By the end of the spring semester, 83 percent (385 total) of Dolphins recorded a GPA of 3.0 or higher and 81 percent (374 total) recorded a 3.0 or greater for the academic year. Due in part to those successes, 122 graduates had degrees conferred and 280 student-athletes will garner ASUN Honor Roll recognition, not including the additional 42 individuals from the women's rowing team that earned spots on the MAAC Honor Roll.

Leading all programs this spring was the women's golf team, with a GPA of 3.79.  For the last 10 years, women's golf has finished first or second among all programs in GPA. Head Coach Kathryn Dougan reacted to her squad setting the best mark of her JU tenure, saying, "I am incredibly proud of this team's efforts in the classroom. They set a high standard for themselves in all aspects of student-athlete life. It's an honor for them to be recognized for their hard work."

The men's golf program led all male sports with a 3.67 GPA in the spring, while also setting their best academic year GPA mark in program history, with a 3.68 for 2022-23. Longtime Director of Golf, Mike Blackburn, has continued to witness successes on and off the course. "We see our guys like the NCAA does, as students and athletes," Blackburn said. "We are incredibly proud of what these young men have accomplished, truly raising the bar."

For large roster sports with greater than 25 students, women's lacrosse continued to carry the torch with a 3.72 posted for the spring and a program record 3.73 for the academic year. First-year head coach Tara Singleton was elated with her team's results and overall approach. "I am consistently amazed by the accomplishments of this group," Singleton said. "They are committed to the full student-athlete experience and work to be winners on and off the field."

With six JU programs (men's cross country, men's rowing, men's soccer, women's basketball, women's rowing and volleyball) setting semester records and another five (men's golf, men's rowing, women's rowing, women's basketball and women's lacrosse) setting a new annual mark, there were exceptional contributions that paved the way to a new department record. This year's student-athlete cohort was particularly notable in that it brought about the widest distribution of academic programs ever sought during an academic year. From Nursing to Marine Science, to new majors like FinTech, student-athlete representation across campus was at an all-time high. Additionally, with extended eligibility offered by the NCAA in response to the pandemic, a record 48 graduate students were a part of the 2022-2023 JU student-athlete population. 

"I am extremely proud of the commitment and resiliency displayed by our students, especially with how challenging our spring logistics can be," Associate AD Heston said. "This was one of the most talented and coachable student-athlete cohorts I can remember. Our coaches did an incredible job recruiting and it was evident, even in the beginning, that it could be a special group. I'm already fired up to see if we can top it next year!"
 
The 2023-24 academic year will begin on Monday, August 14, with athletic competitions soon to follow. Fall sport schedules will continue to be released in the coming months on judolphins.com.