by Kaylee Woodward, Sun Devil Communications Student Intern
As the 2017-18 athletics season comes to a close for Arizona State University, the Sun Devils celebrate the year's accomplishments not only on the field but also in the classroom.
Â
Student-athletes are challenged every day to maintain a balance between athletics and academics, and once again the Sun Devil student-athletes have come together to complete another successful semester in the classroom.
91 Sun Devil student-athletes
graduated in the spring or will be graduating this summer, including 31 who graduated with honors.
Â
In the spring the average cumulative GPA for all student-athletes was a 3.18, making it the 12th consecutive semester that they have had a GPA of a 3.0 or above. Individually, 71% of student-athletes earned a semester or cumulative GPA above a 3.0.
Â
All of the 14 women's team finished the semester with a cumulative and semester GPA above a 3.0, and six women's teams – golf, triathlon, tennis, beach volleyball, gymnastics, soccer - finished with a cumulative GPA above a 3.5.
Â
This spring the women's golf team placed four on the Pac-12 All-Academic teams, including two first team members – Madison Kerley and Roberta Liti. Liti was also named the Pac-12 Women's Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year and the NCAA's Elite 90 winner for women's golf.
The College Triathlon Coaches Association named eight Sun Devils to their All-Academic teams, with five earning first team recognition and three earning honorable mention.Â
Sun Devil Beach Volleyball placed a conference-leading three student-athletes on the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team, as well as one on the second team, and two on honorable mention.
Â
Savannah Slaysman and Nicole Fossa Huergo represented ASU on the Pac-12 Women's Tennis All-Academic Teams, both earning first team recognition.
Â
The Gym Devils placed a program-best nine student-athletes on the Pac-12 All-Academic teams, and had a conference-best four first-team honorees. They also had a pair of second team honorees and had three Sun Devils earn honorable mention recognition.
Â
Senior's Madison Stark and Jessica Raybe headlined the Pac-12 All-Academic Teams for women's soccer, both with first team honors. Natalie Stephens earned second team honors, and eight Sun Devils rounded out the list with honorable mention honors.
Â
The men posted an average cumulative GPA just shy of a 3.0 at 2.98 for the spring semester, while five teams – cross country, wrestling, ice hockey, golf and swimming & diving - posted both a cumulative and semester GPA of above a 3.0.
Â
Cross country placed three student-athletes – Michael Renner, Ryan Normand, and John Reniewicki - on the Pac-12 All-Academic teams this season, all earning first team honors.
Â
Jake Clifford, forward for Sun Devil Hockey, was named 2018 Arthur Ashe Jr. Male Division I Hockey Scholar Athlete of the Year by
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine honoring his commitment on the ice, in the classroom and in the community.
Â
Sophomore Blake Wagoner earned first-team recognition for the Pac-12 All-Academic Golf Teams.
Â
Seven Sun Devil wrestlers were named to the Pac-12 All-Academic teams this season. Tanner Hall and Ryan Millhof earned first team honors, joined by Josh Shields who earned second team recognition. Four Sun Devils rounded out the list with honorable mention. ASU also earned a place on the NWCA's Division I All-Academic Top 30 teams list.
Â
A combined 23 members of the swimming and diving team were named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Teams in the spring - 11 on the men's side and 12 for the women. Earlier this spring, the teams also earned Scholar All-America honors from the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) for the ninth consecutive season.
Â
