The athletes’ collective GPA improved from 2.91 in the spring semester to 3.14 during the fall semester.

Last fall, there were 15 students with a perfect GPA.

Women athletes’ fall GPA was 3.31. For men in the fall, it was 2.97.

 Of the total 15 teams, the women’s soccer team had the best GPA in the fall, with  3.38. 

Athletic director Pat Pecora said a balance between athletics and academics is necessary.

“It’s very important and hard for athletes to balance athletic and academic life,” Pecora said.

Coach Carl Keifer has been head track and field coach since 2011. Katie Lippincott is a team member, a senior who has enrolled to an optometry program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Keifer said Lippincott had a volunteer position at Associates in Family Eyecare two years ago.

Lippincott got first place in women’s high jump and discus throw April 6 at the Frostburg State University Invitational.

“Your studies have to come first,” Lippincott said. “Student first, then athlete. It was difficult at the start freshman year to figure out how to manage my time. Adjustments may need to be made to make time for what is most important.

“I decided to become an optometrist last summer during my internship at Conemaugh (Memorial Medical Center). In the future, I would like to own my own optometry practice and partake in short-term mission trips,” Lippincott said.

Women’s soccer head coach Vito Addalli was named the fourth head women’s soccer coach in August 2018.

“I’m so proud of my players that they can balance their sports and studies.”

“I know that they have good time-management, and also they’re going to have successful life after they graduate from here,” Addalli said.

Women’s assistant basketball coach Renee Brown got a Ph.D. in 2017 at West Virginia University.

She played basketball at Edinboro University and won multiple conference awards.

“Some  players will have chance to keep playing and competing for their future, but not all of them, so I have to push some athletes to study.

“I will arrange two sessions of an hour-and-a-half per week for my players who are freshmen,” Brown said.