Written by Doug Ireland (Northwestern State Athletics)
| Wednesday, 18 November 2009 18:52
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Northwestern State News
NATCHITOCHES - Northwestern State again sparkled in the annual release of the NCAA's Graduation Success Rates (GSR) study, with the documents showing NSU is Louisiana's second-highest ranking public institution in the 2009 report.
Northwestern posted an overall 73 percent GSR score, second among the state's public institutions and trailing only Centenary and Tulane (tied at 84 percent), and Southeastern Louisiana (76 percent) among the state's 13 NCAA Division I athletics programs. That score also placed Northwestern third among the 12 Southland Conference member institutions, topped only by a 78 percent GSR score by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and SLU's 76 percent.
Three of Northwestern's 10 sports groups (women's basketball, soccer and women's tennis) ranked first among their Southland Conference peers in the 2009 report released Wednesday afternoon by the NCAA. Lady Demon softball and tennis had the best GSR scores in their sports among any state schools.
The NCAA developed the GSR in response to the Federal Graduation Rate, which does not take into account the mobility among college student-athletes while measuring graduating rates. The GSR scores include students transferring into the institutions and allows outgoing transfers to be discounted if they leave in good academic standing.
"The fact that so many NSU teams are again positioned so prominently in this most recent GSR report, when compared to other Southland Conference and state of Louisiana athletic programs, is a continuing testimony that our Athletic Department focus on academic success is paying dividends," said director of athletics Greg Burke.
Northwestern was one of five state-supported institutions to post a GSR score of 70 percent or better: Southeastern (76 percent), NSU (73), New Orleans (72), LSU (71) and McNeese (70).
"Congratulations are in order to NSU's student-athletes, coaches, academic support staff, and faculty for the roles they have all had in making this report one which everyone associated with the NSU athletic program can be proud," said Burke.
Northwestern ranked in the upper third of the 12-team SLC in seven of its 10 sports groupings. NSU was in the upper fourth of the state's 13 Division I programs in seven of 10 sports groups.
Five of the six women's sports at Northwestern ranked either first or second in the SLC: basketball (1), track and field (2), soccer (1), softball (2) and tennis (1).
The Lady Demon tennis program posted a perfect 100 percent score for the second straight year.
Also posting or equalling the highest GSR scores in their history were men's cross country/track and field (80 percent), women's soccer (86 percent), baseball (74 percent), and football (55 percent).
The 2009 report is based on the four entering freshmen classes in Division I athletics from 1999-00 through 2002-03. It's the seventh year that the NCAA has collected GSR data.
