Kent State Women’s Cross Country, Baseball Among Nation’s Best In APR

A pair of Kent State University athletic teams were recognized May 17 in Indianapolis for their excellence in academic progress and retention by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), as the Kent State Golden Flashes women’s cross country and baseball teams were among the top 10 percent in their respective sports for the multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) from 2006-10.

Under the direction of Bill Lawson and Mark Croghan, the women’s cross country squad was honored for the sixth consecutive year, while Scott Stricklin’s 28th-ranked baseball team was acknowledged for the second year in a row.
 
“I’d like to congratulate both of these teams on being among the best in the country academically,” said Kent State Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen. “Both are model programs of success in the classroom and in the realm of competition. Bill, Mark and Scott, along with their respective student-athletes, should be commended for their hard work and dedication.”
 
The Golden Flashes were one of only two Mid-American Conference schools recognized in each sport. Overall, 52 women’s cross country teams from across the country were honored, while 31 baseball squads were singled out.
 
The NCAA honors teams each year as part of an academic reform effort to highlight programs that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation of scholarship student-athletes on every Division I team and provides an annual scorecard by tracking each semester or quarter.
 
Full APR scores for all teams, including penalties for low-performing teams, will be released May 24.
For a complete list of all NCAA Division I programs recognized for APR success, visit www.ncaa.org.

For more information on Kent State Athletics, visit www.kentstatesports.com.

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Media Contact:
Alan Ashby, aashby2@kent.edu, 330-672-8419