University of New Hampshire Athletics
UNH Wins 2021-22 Walter Harrison Academic Cup
6/29/2022 2:19:00 PM | Field Hockey, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Soccer, Men's Track & Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Cross Country, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Women's Swimming and Diving, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball, Academics, Men's Cross Country
Wildcats Have Won Five of the Last Seven Academic Cups
BOSTON – The University of New Hampshire captured a share of the 2021-22 Walter Harrison Academic Cup to mark the seventh time overall UNH student-athletes compiled the top grade-point average in the conference. The announcement was made Wednesday by America East.
UNH has won five of the last seven Academic Cups – one was not awarded in the 2019-20 academic year. The Wildcats previously claimed this accolade back-to-back in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 academic years, three consecutive years spanning 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17, and again in 2018-19.
New Hampshire recorded a conference-high 3.42 GPA. Eight of the 12 Wildcat teams in America East tallied a GPA of 3.42 or higher; the women's cross country team led the way with a 3.64 GPA and was followed by volleyball (3.59), women's swimming and diving (3.57), women's soccer (3.55), women's lacrosse (3.53), women's track & field (3.52), women's basketball (3.51) and men's soccer (3.45).
"I'm so very proud of our athletes, coaches and staff who have created and nurtured our athletics culture which has resulted in very high academic achievement and winning multiple Academic Cups," UNH Director of Athletics Marty Scarano said. "This is a fabulous accomplishment and one which is highly valued within our athletics family. This special recognition cannot exist in a vacuum and as such we owe the faculty at UNH a debt of gratitude as they are great partners for our student-athletes and our mission. Winning the America East Academic Cup never gets old!"
The University of Hartford matched UNH's 3.42 GPA to mark the third time these schools have shared the Walter Harrison Academic Cup; it previously happened in 2014-15 and 2016-17.
The University of Vermont (3.40 GPA), Binghamton University (3.39) and the University of Maine and NJIT – both with a 3.36 – round out the top five.
UNH received a number of academic awards through the 2021-22 academic year.
Thirteen 'Cats were named an America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete earlier in June in recognition of seniors who completed their undergraduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher.
Alpine skier Lisa Olsson (Stockholm, Sweden) was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Women's At-Large Third Team. She was joined on the Women's At-Large All-District Team by swimmer Anna Metzler (Regensberg, Germany) and Nordic skier Jasmine Lyons (Ottawa, Ontario), and alpine skier Will Bruneau-Bouchard (Quebec City, Quebec) was named to the Men's At-Large All-District Team.
Three Wildcats were named the America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year in their respective sports; those honorees were Metzler in women's swimming & diving, Kelly Kaufmann (Raleigh, N.C.) in volleyball and Adam Savill (Manchester, England) in men's soccer.
Three other 'Cats earned an Elite 18 Award, which is presented to the student-athlete who has the highest GPA among those competing in that sport's America East championship. UNH swept those honors in soccer with Luke Madden (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) for the men and Whitney Wiley (Vienna, Va.) for the women, and Cate Wardinski (Burke, Va.) earned that honor in women's swimming & diving.
America East student-athletes averaged a 3.31 GPA overall in 2021-22 and that is the second-highest mark in conference history. All 10 America East institutions averaged better than a 3.10 GPA this past year and this is the 17th consecutive year the conference's student-athletes have averaged better than a 3.00 GPA.
The Walter Harrison Academic Cup, established by the America East Board of Directors in 1995, is presented to the institution whose student-athletes record the highest grade-point-average during that academic year. It was renamed in honor of the outgoing University of Hartford president in June 2017.
America East is proud to have one of most comprehensive academic awards programs in the country. In addition to the Walter Harrison Academic Cup, the conference recognizes a Scholar-Athlete of the Year in every sport as well as both a Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Presidential Scholar-Athlete awards are bestowed to student-athletes who graduate with a 3.75 GPA.
The Elite 18 program recognizes elite students while All-Academic teams comprised of student-athletes that excel both academically and athletically are chosen in each of the conference's 18 sports. The conference also recognizes all student-athletes who achieve at least a 3.0 GPA on its Academic Honor Roll, with those achieving a 3.50 average or better receiving Commissioner's Honor Roll status.
UNH has won five of the last seven Academic Cups – one was not awarded in the 2019-20 academic year. The Wildcats previously claimed this accolade back-to-back in the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 academic years, three consecutive years spanning 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17, and again in 2018-19.
New Hampshire recorded a conference-high 3.42 GPA. Eight of the 12 Wildcat teams in America East tallied a GPA of 3.42 or higher; the women's cross country team led the way with a 3.64 GPA and was followed by volleyball (3.59), women's swimming and diving (3.57), women's soccer (3.55), women's lacrosse (3.53), women's track & field (3.52), women's basketball (3.51) and men's soccer (3.45).
"I'm so very proud of our athletes, coaches and staff who have created and nurtured our athletics culture which has resulted in very high academic achievement and winning multiple Academic Cups," UNH Director of Athletics Marty Scarano said. "This is a fabulous accomplishment and one which is highly valued within our athletics family. This special recognition cannot exist in a vacuum and as such we owe the faculty at UNH a debt of gratitude as they are great partners for our student-athletes and our mission. Winning the America East Academic Cup never gets old!"
The University of Hartford matched UNH's 3.42 GPA to mark the third time these schools have shared the Walter Harrison Academic Cup; it previously happened in 2014-15 and 2016-17.
The University of Vermont (3.40 GPA), Binghamton University (3.39) and the University of Maine and NJIT – both with a 3.36 – round out the top five.
UNH received a number of academic awards through the 2021-22 academic year.
Thirteen 'Cats were named an America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete earlier in June in recognition of seniors who completed their undergraduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher.
Alpine skier Lisa Olsson (Stockholm, Sweden) was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Women's At-Large Third Team. She was joined on the Women's At-Large All-District Team by swimmer Anna Metzler (Regensberg, Germany) and Nordic skier Jasmine Lyons (Ottawa, Ontario), and alpine skier Will Bruneau-Bouchard (Quebec City, Quebec) was named to the Men's At-Large All-District Team.
Three Wildcats were named the America East Scholar-Athlete of the Year in their respective sports; those honorees were Metzler in women's swimming & diving, Kelly Kaufmann (Raleigh, N.C.) in volleyball and Adam Savill (Manchester, England) in men's soccer.
Three other 'Cats earned an Elite 18 Award, which is presented to the student-athlete who has the highest GPA among those competing in that sport's America East championship. UNH swept those honors in soccer with Luke Madden (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) for the men and Whitney Wiley (Vienna, Va.) for the women, and Cate Wardinski (Burke, Va.) earned that honor in women's swimming & diving.
America East student-athletes averaged a 3.31 GPA overall in 2021-22 and that is the second-highest mark in conference history. All 10 America East institutions averaged better than a 3.10 GPA this past year and this is the 17th consecutive year the conference's student-athletes have averaged better than a 3.00 GPA.
The Walter Harrison Academic Cup, established by the America East Board of Directors in 1995, is presented to the institution whose student-athletes record the highest grade-point-average during that academic year. It was renamed in honor of the outgoing University of Hartford president in June 2017.
America East is proud to have one of most comprehensive academic awards programs in the country. In addition to the Walter Harrison Academic Cup, the conference recognizes a Scholar-Athlete of the Year in every sport as well as both a Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Presidential Scholar-Athlete awards are bestowed to student-athletes who graduate with a 3.75 GPA.
The Elite 18 program recognizes elite students while All-Academic teams comprised of student-athletes that excel both academically and athletically are chosen in each of the conference's 18 sports. The conference also recognizes all student-athletes who achieve at least a 3.0 GPA on its Academic Honor Roll, with those achieving a 3.50 average or better receiving Commissioner's Honor Roll status.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Men's Soccer
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/ Women's Swimming and Diving
M/B
/ Men's Soccer
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/ Women's Swimming and Diving
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