Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Bemidji State among Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award winners

CLEVELAND -- The Bemidji State University athletics department made the grade again as it was named among the 2010-11 recipients of the Division II Athletics Directors Association (DII ADA) Academic Achievement Awards today. The DII ADA’s Academic Achievement Awards is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level across the country.

Ninety-eight institutions submitted nominees for the 2010-11 Academic Achievement Awards, while a total of 3,676 student-athletes are being
recognized this year. The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) had 434 student-athletes honored, a record-high for the program, followed by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) with 381 nominees. The NSIC previously held the record for most student-athletes honored with 391 in 2008-09.

This year the NSIC was represented by student-athletes from the following institutions: Bemidji State; Concordia University-St. Paul; University
of Mary; University of Minnesota, Crookston; Minnesota State University, Mankato; Northern State University, St. Cloud State University, Upper Iowa University, Wayne State College.

In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the athletics director of the Division II institution must be a current
dues paying member of DII ADA. Also, the student-athlete must:
* have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
* have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work
* have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year
“Congratulations to all of this year’s Academic Achievement Award winners,” stated Division II ADA President Greg Waggoner, director of
athletics at Western State College of Colorado. “We want to thank and congratulate those colleges and universities that took part in honoring
its student-athletes and look forward to continued participation in the future.”

DII ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards
and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors. DII ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 47th year.