For all the scoring the Eastern New Mexico University athletic teams managed on the field in the 2016-17, they reached just as many goals in the classroom. On Thursday, the Lone Star Conference announced that the Greyhound men’s programs earned the LSC Academic Excellence Award presented by Balfour, while the women’s programs posted the leagues’ best Grade Point Average in three sports.
“We continue to be so proud of our student-athletes, coaches and programs regarding their academic achievements,” said Athletic Director Dr. Greg Waggoner. “Their standings against their competitive peers in the academic arena is impressive on so many fronts year after year. This represents the commitment of the student-athletes, as well as the culture developed by our coaches.”

The honor marked the second time in the four-year existence of the honor that the Greyhound men’s teams earned the award. ENMU finished first in the men’s standings for the inaugural edition of the year after the 2013-14 year,
Over the year, 11 ENMU athletes accumulated 12 LSC All-Academic honors, with Courtney Lawson earning a selection as the LSC Volleyball Academic Athlete of the Year. The accomplishment was an increase from last season, when seven athletes earned eight selections as LSC All-Academic.

According to the LSC release, a point system was instituted, which included all sports, which compete for a NCAA Division II Championship. By sport, the conference awards five points to the school with the highest GPA five points towards the award and named as the sport’s Academic Champion. The second-place program earns four points, and the third-place team three points. Any program with a GPA of at least 2.0 earns one point. To compare the scores, points are added up by gender and divided by that school’s participating programs.

The LSC named 20 overall Academic Champions (10 men/10 women). Eastern New Mexico University led the league with eight sports claiming Academic Championships, while University of Texas of the Permian Basin was second, with four. Western New Mexico claimed three championships, while five schools had one each.

For the men’s teams, baseball, football, soccer, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field were named LSC Academic Champions. Western New Mexico University and University of Texas of the Permian Basin each had a pair of academic champions.

The Greyhound women’s cross country program, along with indoor and outdoor track & field earned LSC Academic Championships. Texas Woman’s and Cameron tied for the LSC Academic Excellence Award presented by Balfour, although the Greyhound paced the league with three academic titles.

Men’s Sport                                         Academic Champion       GPA
Baseball                                                Eastern New Mexico         3.178
Football                                                 Eastern New Mexico         2.783
Men’s Basketball                                  Texas A&M-Commerce    3.169
Men’s Cross Country                            Western New Mexico       3.661
Men’s Golf                                            Western New Mexico       3.410
Men’s Soccer                                        Eastern New Mexico         2.971
Men’s Indoor Track and Field              Eastern New Mexico         2.868
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field           Eastern New Mexico         2.868
Men’s Swimming                                  UT Permian Basin             2.979
Men’s Tennis                                        UT Permian Basin             3.566

Women’s Sport                                   Academic Champion       GPA
Women’s Basketball                             West Texas A&M              3.568
Women’s Cross Country                       Eastern New Mexico         3.524
Women’s Golf                                       Western New Mexico       3.684
Women’ Soccer                                    Angelo State                      3.345
Softball                                                 Cameron                           3.585
Women’s Indoor Track and Field         Eastern New Mexico         3.286
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field      Eastern New Mexico         3.286
Volleyball                                              Texas Woman’s                 3.545
Women’s Swimming                            UT Permian Basin             3.087
Women’s Tennis                                   UT Permian Basin             3.657

Lone Star Conference Academic Excellence Award presented by Balfour
Year            Men’s Award                 Women’s Award
2016-17      Eastern New Mexico      Texas Woman’s / Cameron
2015-16      West Texas A&M           Texas Woman’s
2014-15      West Texas A&M           Texas Woman’s / West Texas A&M
2013-14      Eastern New Mexico      Texas Woman’s

ENMU Academic All-Conference 2016-17 (12)
Alexis Aguirre (Volleyball)
Ezra Bagwell (Men’s Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field)
Mikaehla Connor (Women’s Basketball)
Keenan Dodd (Baseball)
Melina Gryschka (Women’s Indoor Track & Field)
Brad Hardin (Football)
Lorenzo Juarez (Men’s Cross Country)
Courtney Lawson* (Volleyball)
Coley Norcross (Women’s Outdoor Track & Field)
Andrew Stubbs (Baseball)
Scott Wesselink (Men’s Outdoor Track & Field)

*LSC Academic Player of the Year by sport
Information courtesy of the Lone Star Conference