SMC Student-Athletes Make History in the Classroom

^{ABOVE: Game and Match: Madison Weekley, left, and Lene Marie Hovda helped Saint Mary’s Women’s Tennis compile a GPA of 3.75 in the fall 2022 semester. / Photo by Tod FIerner}

Success for Saint Mary’s student-athletes continues to come both in and out of competition, as all 16 Division I Gaels teams posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or better during a historic fall 2022 semester.

The accomplishment, which is believed to be a first for SMC Athletics, represents just how hard the Gaels are working away from the field and court, the water and the pitch. The department compiled an average team GPA of 3.379, led by the Women’s Tennis team’s mark of 3.752. 

Women’s Basketball posted a team GPA of 3.582, followed by Women’s Cross Country & Track at 3.489. Men’s Golf (3.468) and Beach Volleyball (3.458) rounded out the top five. Thirty-one student-athletes ended the fall term with a 4.0 GPA, while 10 have a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA. Seventy-seven carried a GPA above 3.0. Fourteen cross country runners earned West Coast Conference All-Academic mention, as did nine Men’s Soccer players, six Women’s Soccer players, and three Volleyball players.

"The hard work of our student-athletes in the classroom was on display in the fall semester,” said Saint Mary’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Matoso. “To have every sport post strong grades from top to bottom is a testament to the work they put in on a daily basis to strive for greatness both in their sports and in their studies. Saint Mary's is dedicated to a well-rounded student-athlete experience, and our student-athletes continue to reap the benefits of what they've been sowing."

The fall semester was also notable for SMC Athletics’ commitment to Lasallian principles. SMC student-athletes completed nearly 200 hours of community service projects, from food drives to fight hunger to working with disadvantaged and at-risk youth. 

Read more about SMC Athletics’ community service. 

Ben Enos is Director of Media Relations at Saint Mary’s. Write him.