Jan. 10, 2018
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State women's soccer program continues to raise the bar in terms of success in the classroom and on the field.
While the Nittany Lions were making a deep run into the 2017 NCAA Tournament, they were also excelling in the classroom. With final grades submitted, the Penn State women's soccer team finished the fall 2017 semester with a semester grade-point average (GPA) of 3.47. As a team, the Nittany Lions own a cumulative GPA of 3.42.
Academic counselor Jim Weaver, who has been on staff at Penn State since 1993, has high praise for what the program is able to accomplish not only in the classroom, but also on the field.
"Penn State women's soccer is a shining example of what college sports is all about," Weaver said. "Amazing young women achieving great success in the classroom and on the playing field."
Head coach Erica Dambach agrees with Weaver's comments, but adds that the support from the Morgan Academic Center and its resources is important to the success of the student-athlete.
"The academic success of this team is a testament to the type of student-athletes that Penn State attracts," Dambach said. "These women take great pride in reaching their potential in all aspects of their lives and are tremendous role models. They work closely with the Morgan Academic Center and take full advantage of all of the support available to them."
On the field, the Penn State women's soccer team concluded its 2017 season with a run to the NCAA Quarterfinal round -- its third appearance in the past four seasons. The season also saw the Nittany Lions capture their seventh Big Ten Tournament title.
During the fall of 2017 in the classroom, 18 members of the Penn State women's soccer team recorded at least a 3.50 GPA, which gave them Dean's List honors, and five Nittany Lions posted a perfect 4.00 GPA.
The success of the Penn State women's soccer team in the classroom was highlighted this past fall with a program-record 20 Nittany Lions garnering Academic All-Big Ten honors and individually with Emily Ogle and Megan Schafer receiving honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
On Nov. 9, Ogle and Schafer were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Two First Team and then on Dec. 7, Ogle became the ninth Penn State women's soccer student-athlete to be named a CoSIDA Academic All-American with Second Team Academic All-America honors.
The 2017 Penn State soccer team featured a seven-member senior class with five Nittany Lions graduating this past December.
With the 2018 spring semester underway, the Nittany Lions are not only attending class during the day, but they are getting ready for the 2018 season with early morning team workouts.