Mavericks Hit New Heights for Academic Achievement

Omaha student-athletes have risen to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, achieving the highest cumulative grade-point average in school history for the second consecutive semester.

UNO's 291 student-athletes earned a collective GPA of 3.563 for the fall of 2020, just beyond the 3.562 earned in the spring of 2020 which had been the previous high water mark.

"The challenges our student-athletes and the student population in general have faced in the last year have been daunting," said Lindsey Ekwerekwu, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academic Success and Student-Athlete Development. "They have not only balanced their academic and athletic workload effectively, but they have continued to achieve at a very high level during a time of high stress and uncertainty.

"To overcome that adversity with such grace and commitment is truly remarkable," Ekwerekwu added. "The academic staff could not be more proud of the work they have put in to have such a successful semester."

"I continue to be grateful for the dedication of our student-athletes to their academic pursuits and the support they receive from our academic success staff," said Trev Alberts, Vice Chancellor for Athletics. "The pandemic has caused so much disruption in our society and in the lives of these young people, but we have never strayed from two of our guiding tenets – academic excellence and student-centeredness."

A total of 255 student-athletes, or 88 percent, earned a 3.0 GPA or higher in the fall, and 189 of them, or 65 percent, earned either Dean's List (3.5 or above) or Chancellor's List (4.0) honors.

Women's tennis led the way with a team GPA of 3.85. Four of its members made the Chancellor's List, and four more made the Dean's List. Women's golf and swimming & diving were second and third with GPA's of 3.75 and 3.74 respectively.

The hockey team had UNO's best men's team GPA and was seventh overall at 3.61. Eleven team members made the Dean's List and six earned Chancellor's List accolades. This came during a semester when the team was confined to a hotel for three weeks during the NCHC Pod at Baxter Arena.

The Mavericks have now posted 17 consecutive semesters with an all student-athlete GPA of 3.3 or higher.