WATERLOO, Ont. (February 26, 2021) - Student-athletes at Wilfrid Laurier University may not be competing and excelling on the field of play this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic but that hasn't stopped them from continuing to shine in their academics.

During the 2020 Fall semester, 523 Golden Hawk student-athletes combined to post an average grade point average (GPA) of 8.10 on a scale of 12. That number is an entire grade point higher than the 7.11 GPA that 531 student-athletes combined to post in the 2019 Fall semester.

What makes this increase even more impressive is that traditionally, Laurier student-athletes have achieved more classroom success when they are in-season and competing for their respective teams. With the ongoing pandemic, that has not been the case during the 2020-21 academic year, marking a significant accomplishment for this year's group of Golden Hawks.

“I am so proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff,” commented Ryan Lannan, Associate Director of Interuniversity Sport Programs. “This is a true testament of their resiliency, commitment and effort to academic success. Our collaborative approach to partnering with academic departments and faculty members, has resonated across all programs this year.” 

This incredible success in the classroom is highlighted by a group of 163 student-athletes who achieved a GPA of 10.0 or higher in the Fall, over 30 percent of Laurier's student-athlete population, and a 10 percent increase from last year. 

Leading the way academically this year have been four teams in particular.

Men's hockey, currently with 28 student-athletes on their roster, has seen their team GPA jump nearly two full points, from 7.20 in the Fall semester of 2019 to 9.11 this past Fall semester. Likewise, women's basketball, with 13 student-athletes on their roster, has seen their team GPA rise from 8.0 to 9.73.

Women's hockey, with 23 student-athletes on their roster, has gone from an 8.0 GPA a year ago to a 9.21 this past year while women's rugby, with 33 student-athletes on their roster, has risen from 7.39 to 7.84.

“I want to thank Lindsay Lawrence, Manager, Transition & Learning Services, and her team in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Retention for championing our Athlete Academic Success Program,” added Lannan. “We are very fortunate to have an incredible partnership and it has helped lift the academic success of our student-athletes to new heights.”