Lia Biehl Lukkarinen Director of Golf | Western Illinois University Leathernecks Website
Lia Biehl Lukkarinen Director of Golf | Western Illinois University Leathernecks Website
The winners of the 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference Institutional and Team Academic Achievement Awards have been announced.
The overall Institutional Achievement award, presented annually to the member institution with the greatest percentage of its eligible student-athletes earning a 3.25-grade point average or higher for that academic year, was won by Southern Indiana. This marks the second consecutive season Southern Indiana has received this honor.
The OVC Team Academic Achievement Awards, presented annually in each Conference-sponsored sport to the member institution's team with the highest percentage of its eligible student-athletes achieving a 3.25 grade point average or higher, were awarded in 18 sports.
In total, 11 different member institutions garnered at least one team award. Western Illinois University finished with three teams earning the honor as women's basketball, women's golf, and women's tennis all earned top marks for their respective sports.
This is not the first time all three programs have been honored for their academic excellence during the 2023-24 academic year.
The Women's College Basketball Association recently announced that the Leatherneck women's basketball program posted the second-highest GPA in Division I women's basketball. The Western Illinois women's tennis team earned International Tennis Association All-Academic Team honors, and women's golf had five student-athletes named Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholars.
UT Martin led the OVC by claiming four team awards, followed closely by Southeast Missouri and Western Illinois with three each. Eastern Illinois and Southern Indiana also earned multiple awards with two apiece.
The team/institution honorees are:
- Baseball: Lindenwood
- Men's Basketball: Southern Indiana & UT Martin
- Women's Basketball: Western Illinois
- Beach Volleyball: Tennessee Tech
- Men's Cross Country: Southeast Missouri
- Women's Cross Country: Southeast Missouri
- Football: UT Martin
- Men's Golf: UT Martin
- Women's Golf: Little Rock & Western Illinois
- Rifle: Morehead State
- Men's Soccer: Liberty
- Women's Soccer: Eastern Illinois
- Softball: Southern Indiana
- Men's Tennis: Tennessee State
- Women's Tennis: Western Illinois
- Men's Track and Field: Southeast Missouri
- Women's Track and Field: Eastern Illinois
- Women's Volleyball: UT Martin
These awards cap off announcements regarding the 2023–24 academic year awards. It was previously announced that 1,630 OVC student-athletes were named to the Commissioner's Honor Roll (for having a 3.25 GPA or better) while 310 student-athletes achieved perfect 4.0 GPAs to earn the OVC Academic Medal of Honor.
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