HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech ranked No. 1 in the nation in terms of number of recipients of the Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award. The award, which is in its inaugural year, recognizes student-athletes who have a 3.5 grade point average or higher. Tech boasted 97 academic achievement award winners — more than any other Division II institution in the country.

Minnesota State Mankato (94 award recipients), Slippery Rock (79), Adelphi (75) and Truman State (73) had the next-highest number of award recipients.

Sixty-seven schools participated in the awards program and 2,188 student-athletes were honored nationwide.

Tech helped the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference finish as the top league in the country with 214 award recipients. It topped the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, which had 212.

Award winners must have attended a minimum of two years of college level work and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his or her last academic year.

“This is a great honor for our student-athletes, our university and our conference,” said Tech athletics director Suzanne Sanregret. “It validates the hard work put in by our student-athletes and coaches and the high priority we place on academics in each of our programs.”

The DII ADA, administered by the National Association of College Directors of Athletics, provides educational and networking opportunities, enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics, and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors.

 D2 Athletic Directors Association Achievement Award Winners