Academic honors summer 2019
Student-athletes inducted in National College Athlete Honor Society
The Binghamton Athletic Department inducted 44 student-athletes into the National College Athlete Honor Society (Chi Alpha Sigma) on Monday evening in the TAU Club Room of the Events Center. This marks the 14th consecutive year that the athletic department has held such inductions. The 44 inductees represents the second-largest class to date.
In order to be eligible for induction into Chi Alpha Sigma, a student-athlete must have achieved junior academic standing by their fifth semester, have attained at least a 3.4 cumulative grade point average and have participated in a sport sponsored by the NCAA.
“We are very proud of each of these student-athletes,” Binghamton Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott said. “They represent the ideal student-athlete and embody the best of Binghamton University.”
Since its inception, 446 Binghamton student-athletes have been inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma. The largest class of inductees, was 46 last year.
Four student-athletes selected as America East President Scholar-Athletes
The America East Conference has released its list of Presidential Scholar-Athletes for the 2018-19 academic year and 10 Binghamton student-athletes are included among the selections.
The America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete award recognizes graduating student-athletes who compiled a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher as an undergraduate student and earned their undergraduate degrees this year. In addition to registering a 3.75 GPA for their college career, honored student-athletes must have received their undergraduate degree in the academic year they are honored and have attended their institution for a minimum of two years.
Included among this year’s selections are four track & field athletes – Samantha Beyar, Nate Gerhardt, Savoy Curry and Mitch Halpern. Curry and Halpern are also members of the cross country program.
Since the America East Presidential Scholar-Athlete Award was established in 2014, Binghamton has posted 37 selections.
Student-athletes set another record with 3.29 grade-point average in spring
For the fifth consecutive semester, Binghamton student-athletes raised the bar on their academics and for the third straight term, the group’s grade-point average is a new record. In the spring semester, BU student-athletes achieved a 3.29 GPA - the department’s highest in at least 21 years - and a figure well above that of the general student population at the University.
The record-setting GPA also marks the 14th consecutive semester that the group surpassed the 3.10 mark.
“This is another tremendous accomplishment by our student-athletes,” Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott, PhD said. “To set an all-time high for the third-straight semester shows an incredible level of achievement at this world-class institution.”
More than 76 percent of student-athletes (308 individuals) recorded a 3.0 or higher GPA and nearly 60 percent (241) posted a 3.3 or higher. Further, more than 43 percent held down a 3.5 or higher.
Nearly 200 student-athletes named to America East Academic Honor Roll
The America East Conference has released its 2019 Spring Academic Honor Roll, which includes all sports it sponsors during the winter and spring seasons. Binghamton had 197 of its student-athletes from those teams make the list. This accounts for 75 percent of all student athletes from those programs that competed in the winter and spring.
In order to be named to the Spring America East Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have attained at least 3.0 GPA for the semester. Those student-athletes who attained at least a 3.5 GPA were also named to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll. There were 107 Binghamton student-athletes named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll as well.
The 197 total selections from Binghamton was the highest total among the nine America East Institutions. Binghamton also recorded the second-highest percentage, trailing only New Hampshire, with 79 percent.
Track standout named to regional academic team
Simply put, the month of May has brought a slew of awards for junior Jack Fitzgerald on both the athletic and academic fronts.
On Monday, May 27, Fitzgerald was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (COSIDA)/Google Cloud Academic Track & Cross Country All-District Team. He earned the honor by virtue of his outstanding accomplishments both in the high jump and in the classroom.
Binghamton is in the first of nine Districts across the United States and Canada designated by COSIDA for its Academic All-America program. Fitzgerald and the other nine District 1 honorees will advance to the Academic All-America national ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-Americans will be announced in June. There are four separate divisions (NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA) with COSIDA’s Academic All-America program across all sports.
Four wrestlers earn academic honors
Four members of the Binghamton wrestling team have been recognized by the EIWA for their academic achievements during the 2018-19 season. Redshirt freshmen Matt Swanson and Joe Doyle, redshirt sophomore Audey Ashkar, and junior Anthony Sparacio were all named to the 2019 EIWA Academic Achievement award list.
“I’m very proud of our four student-athletes that made the EIWA All-Academic team,” head coach Kyle Borshoff said. “We constantly stress the value of working hard in the classroom, as well as on the mat. I hope to continue seeing more and more of our wrestler’s honored as elite students.”
In order to qualify for the award, student-athletes must either have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.2 and participated in this year’s EIWA tournament, or maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and qualified for the NCAA championships through the EIWA.