ROCK HILL SC—Three Winthrop athletic teams are among more than 1,000 Division I teams that are being recognized by the NCAA for outstanding performance in the classroom based on their most recent multiyear Academic Progress Rate (APR).
 
The NCAA presents Public Recognition Awards to teams that post APR scores in the top 10 percent of their sport. The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams nationally.
 
The Winthrop teams that received the award this year include men's golf, women's golf and women's tennis.  The achievement by these three teams brings the total number of Winthrop sports teams to receive a Public Recognition Award to nine since the program first started in 2005.  The scores required to be in the top 10 ranged from 983 to a perfect 1,000, depending on the sport.
 
"It is certainly rewarding to see that we have multiple teams being recognized this year for having their APR scores within the top 10 percent of their respective sports," said Winthrop athletic director Tom Hickman.  "I would like to congratulate coaches Jodi Wendt (women's golf), Kevin Pendley (men's golf) and Cid Carvalho (women's tennis) for their efforts," he said.
 
"All of our coaches do a great job supporting the academic achievements of our student-athletes but this recognition sets these teams apart for this particular reporting period. Our coaches and student-athletes also receive great support from our academic support team headed by Joanna Harris and they are also to be commended for this achievement."
 
The 1,071 teams publicly recognized for high achievement include 649 women's teams and 422 men's or mixed squads. The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each term and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in every sport.