APR Public Recognition Awards
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- The University of Portland women’s soccer, women’s basketball, volleyball and women’s indoor and outdoor track programs were honored with the NCAA's APR Public Recognition Award, the NCAA office announced on Tuesday. Awards were given to teams that posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of their respective sports. It marks the fifth consecutive year that the women’s soccer and volleyball teams earned APR Public Recognition.
A total of 909 teams were publicly recognized. Full APR scores for all teams, including penalties for low-performing teams, will be released May 24.
NCAA President Mark Emmert said top-performing teams this year posted APR scores ranging from 977 to a perfect 1,000. The number of teams in some sports may exceed 10 percent depending on the number of perfect scores.
“Most student-athletes excel at balancing their academic and athletics commitments, yet each year there are those who perform at extraordinary levels,” Emmert said. “By achieving the highest levels of academic success as a team, these young men and women truly embody what it means to be a successful NCAA student-athlete.”
By measuring eligibility and retention each semester or quarter, the APR provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport, Emmert said. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.
The 909 teams publicly recognized this year for high achievement represent 14 percent of the 6,385 eligible Division I teams. The list includes 525 women’s teams and 384 men’s or mixed squads.
A total of 239 institutions, out of 335 Division I colleges and universities, placed at least one team on the top APR list. Another 11 schools that offer athletics in more than one division, out of 52 overall within the NCAA, placed Division I teams on the list as well.
Portland accounted for five of the 15 total programs honored in the West Coast Conference. Five of the eight WCC member institutions had teams that were recognized by the NCAA. In addition to the Pilots, Gonzaga University and Santa Clara University each had three teams honored, while Loyola Marymount University and Pepperdine University had two apiece.