Dominican University of California repeats as PacWest Academic Achievement Award winner

PHOENIX, AZ – For the second straight year, the Dominican University of California athletic program has been selected as the Pacific West Conference Academic Achievement Award winner.

"Dominican had another tremendous year in the classroom and should be lauded for its consistent and outstanding effort in the classroom," Bob Hogue, commissioner of the PacWest, said. "For the second straight year, the conference student-athletes set a record with six of the nine PacWest athletic programs boasting a GPA of at least 3.0.”

The PacWest made the announcement on Monday, June 21. The overall conference grade point average was a phenomenal 3.02.

“We are delighted with this repeat performance by our student-athletes and the faculty, staff and coaches at Dominican who help and support them,” retiring Dominican President Dr. Joseph R. Fink, said. “This is a proud occasion for Dominican and its athletics program, which has successfully balanced its efforts to compete in the classroom and on the field or court. It validates our belief and goal that our student-athletes embrace the values of this university and are committed to being better students, athletes and leaders.”

The Penguin athletic program put together a 3.25 grade point average to claim the only PacWest team championship earned in the classroom. It was the highest average of the nine current programs in the league and edged Brigham Young University Hawaii by .011. The Seasiders produced a 3.14 GPA this year.

The grade point average for each school is not based upon its cumulative average, but rather an average of how each student athlete performed in the classroom during the 2010-11 academic year.

Terry Tumey, the athletic director at Dominican, also thanked faculty and supporting staff members for their outstanding contributions in support of Penguin student-athletes.

“This is another example of the dedication of our student-athletes and what they can and will achieve at this university,” he stated. “It is a reflection of the type of leadership - led by President Fink - and vision that Dominican has to challenge its athletic teams to excel on all levels. With the amazing demands placed on student-athletes for academic and athletic success, this is a product of the university community’s tremendous commitment to scholarship.”

In addition to Dominican and BYU-Hawaii finishing one-two this season, Notre Dame de Namur University took third with a 3.073, while Grand Canyon University placed fourth with a 3.05. Dixie State College of Utah (3.025) and Chaminade University of Honolulu (3.014) rounded out the six institutions breaking the 3.00 GPA barrier.

NDNU captured the inaugural PacWest Academic Achievement Award in 2007-08, while BYU-Hawaii won the honor in 2008-09. Dominican becomes the first repeat winner of the prestigious academic award.