16 of 20 teams with cumulative GPAs better than 3.0
UK Athletics made steady progress toward Mitch Barnhart’s goal of a 3.0 department-wide grade-point average in his first nine years, but only once did Wildcat student-athletes reach the mark.
Two years later, what was once a rare feat has become the norm.
For the third consecutive semester, UK Athletics posted a cumulative GPA better than 3.0. UK’s competing scholarship student-athletes combined for a fall 2013 GPA of 3.088. It is the second-highest mark of the Barnhart era, trailing only the spring semester of 2013. UK began its streak of three consecutive semesters with a GPA of better than 3.0 with a 3.030 in fall 2012.
“Reaching a 3.0 GPA as a department is now expected, but that doesn’t make it any less of an accomplishment,” Barnhart said. “I am proud of the way our student-athletes have sustained their success in the classroom and even prouder of the way they have embraced academics as an important part of the UK experience.”
Sixteen of UK’s 20 teams had GPAs of 3.0 or better, led by women’s tennis at 3.727. Women’s cross country (3.608), softball (3.608) and women’s swimming and diving (3.533) joined women’s tennis in exceeding 3.5. Leading all Wildcat men’s teams was men’s tennis at 3.443.
Of the 12 teams that competed in regular-season play during the fall, 10 had GPAs of better than 3.0. That includes the men’s basketball team at 3.038, marking the fourth straight semester in which John Calipari’s program has had a GPA better than 3.0.
“Thanks to the work of our student-athletes, coaches and staff, I believe we are moving in the right direction in all facets of our program,” Barnhart said. “We are coming off our first top-25 Directors’ Cup finish ever last year and we are still out to prove strong athletics and academics can go together.”
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