Wednesday, July 10, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – For the second time in three years, Concordia stands at the top of the conference’s academic podium with the school winning the 2018-19 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic All-Sports Championship.

The Cavaliers tallied a total of 167 points in the annual survey of the cumulative grade point averages for each school’s GNAC program. Northwest Nazarene, last year’s Academic All-Sports champion, finished a close second with 162 points while Saint Martin’s finished third with 148 points.

In addition to claiming the overall title, Concordia won the men’s Academic All-Sports Championship with 86 points. The Cavaliers were among the top-three in five of the six GNAC sports the school sponsors. Concordia was followed by Seattle Pacific with 62 points and Central Washington with 60 points.

Northwest Nazarene claimed its third consecutive Women’s Academic All-Sports Championship with 104 points, finishing just three points ahead of second-place Saint Martin’s (101). Concordia finished third with a total of 81 points. The Nighthawks posted top-three GPAS in four of the program’s seven sports.

Concordia led five institutions that saw all of its GNAC programs finish with GPAs over 3.00. The Cavaliers took the top spot in men’s track and field (3.30), were second in baseball (3.18), men’s golf (3.37) and men’s soccer (3.25); and placed third in men’s cross country (3.30), women’s basketball (3.49) and women’s cross country (3.60).

Northwest Nazarene, meanwhile, led all schools by claiming the top GPA in four sports. The Nighthawks were tops in baseball (3.26), men’s golf (3.43), women’s track and field (3.66) and volleyball (3.71). Montana State Billings claimed the top spot in three women’s sports: golf (3.55), soccer (3.74) and softball (3.45).

In placing third overall, Saint Martin’s earned top-three positions in seven of the school’s 13 GNAC programs. The Saints were tops in women’s basketball (3.63), took second in women’s cross country (3.66), women’s golf (3.52) and volleyball (3.69) and tied for second in women’s track and field (3.47). Saint Martin’s men’s basketball (3.12) and men’s golf (3.06) programs each took third.

The Academic All-Sports standings also saw a couple of impressive individual sports streaks continue. Seattle Pacific led all men’s basketball programs for the ninth consecutive year with a 3.30 GPA. Azusa Pacific led all football teams for the seventh straight year with a 2.94 GPA.

Rounding out this year’s individual Academic All-Sports championships is Central Washington in men’s cross country (3.41), Seattle Pacific in women’s cross country (3.72) and Western Washington in men’s soccer (3.37).

A total of 105 of the conference’s 122 teams (86 percent) posted cumulative GPAs of 3.00 or better. All but one conference’s 66 women’s teams finished with a 3.00 GPA or better while men’s cross country saw all 11 programs eclipse the 3.00 barrier. Joining Concordia in having all of its GNAC programs finish above 3.00 is Alaska Anchorage, Alaska, Northwest Nazarene and Seattle Pacific.

The academic all-sports standings are based on the cumulative grade point average averages of all of the athletes on the official team rosters, including redshirts. Points are awarded on two-point increments.

GNAC 2018-19 ACADEMIC ALL-SPORTS STANDINGS
Overall (Top 5): 1, Concordia, 167. 2, Northwest Nazarene, 162. 3, Saint Martin’s, 148. 4, Seattle Pacific, 138. 5, Central Washington, 137.
Men (Top 5): 1, Concordia, 86. 2, Seattle Pacific, 62. 3, Central Washington, 60. 4, Northwest Nazarene, 58. 5, Western Oregon, 51.
Women (Top 5): 1, Northwest Nazarene 104. 2, Saint Martin’s, 101. 3, Concordia, 81. 4, Central Washington, 77. 5, Seattle Pacific, 76.

MEN’S TOP-THREE TEAMS BY SPORT
Baseball: 1, Northwest Nazarene, 3.26. 2, Concordia, 3.18. 3, Western Oregon, 3.17.
Basketball: 1, Seattle Pacific, 3.30. 2, Alaska Anchorage, 3.26. 3, Saint Martin’s, 3.12.
Cross Country: 1, Central Washington, 3.41. 2, Western Oregon, 3.36. 3, Concordia, 3.30.
Football: 1, Azusa Pacific, 2.94. 2, Central Washington, 2.79. 3, Humboldt State & Western Oregon, 2.69.
Golf: 1, Northwest Nazarene, 3.43. 2, Concordia, 3.37. 3, Saint Martin’s, 3.06.
Soccer: 1, Western Washington, 3.37. 2, Concordia, 3.25. 3, Seattle Pacific, 3.23.
Track and Field: 1, Concordia, 3.30. 2, Seattle Pacific, 3.18. 3, Western Oregon, 3.17.

WOMEN TOP-THREE TEAMS BY SPORT
Basketball: 1, Saint Martin’s, 3.63, 2, Montana State Billings, 3.50. 3, Concordia, 3.49.
Cross Country: 1, Seattle Pacific, 3.72. 2, Saint Martin’s, 3.66. 3, Concordia, 3.60.
Golf: 1, Montana State Billings, 3.55. 2, Saint Martin’s, 3.52. 3, Northwest Nazarene, 3.36.
Soccer: 1, Montana State Billings, 3.74. 2, Northwest Nazarene, 3.62. 3, Seattle Pacific, 3.55.
Softball: 1, Montana State Billings, 3.45. 2, Central Washington, 3.44. 3, Western Oregon, 3.35.
Track and Field: 1, Northwest Nazarene, 3.66. 2, Saint Martin’s & Western Oregon, 3.47.
Volleyball: 1, Northwest Nazarene, 3.71. 2, Saint Martin’s, 3.69. 3, Central Washington, 3.52.