ATLANTA – After earning the highest grade point average in program history, the Georgia State men’s golf team has been awarded the Academic National Championship as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America on Wednesday.
Georgia State posted the highest overall team GPA for all divisions with a 3.85. A total of 187 teams submitted GPAs of 3.00 or higher to earn All-Academic Team recognition.
“The NCAA calls our athletes, student-athletes. If you come to Georgia State, being a student is first, period, no buts, no ands, no excuses,” said Georgia State Director of Golf Joe Inman. “The first thing I tell players when they send their resumes is that we focus on academics.
“We have done a lot of great things on the course over the years, including four-straight NCAA Regional appearances, but I have to admit that this is in the title I am most proud. Whether our student-athletes go on to play professional golf or not, they will be prepared for life after Georgia State because of what they have done in the classroom.”
Last season, Georgia State won the Sun Belt Conference Championship defeating in-state rival Georgia Southern in the match play final. The squad advanced to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, just missing a sixth appearance in the NCAA Championship.
A total of 39 teams received President’s Special Recognition status from the GCAA for having team GPAs of 3.5 or better.
To be eligible for GCAA All-Academic Team honors a college or university must submit the GPAs for each player on its official squad list for the academic year.
Georgia State will begin practice for the 2017-18 season in late August. The Panthers open the season Sept. 11 at The Invitational at the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, S.C.