ROCK HILL, S.C. –  Winthrop Athletics continues to succeed in the classroom, as the department recorded an overall Graduation Success Rate (GSR) of 88 percent in a report released by the NCAA on Tuesday. Winthrop Athletics has achieved an 84 percent or higher GSR since 1998.

As a conference, the Big South has maintained an overall GSR of 85 percent for the fourth consecutive year. Both the conference and Winthrop had a record year in 2019, achieving an 89 and 90 percent success rate respectively.

"This impressive number shows how dedicated our student-athletes and coaches are to graduation," said Claire Mooney-Melvin, Director of Academic and Student Services. "They see the importance of that college degree. These students work incredibly hard day in and day out and next to championships, graduation is the ultimate payoff."

In the newest release, Winthrop women's golf and softball recorded a perfect GSR of 100 percent. This is the 8^th straight year that women's golf recorded a 100 percent score, while softball has recorded a GSR of 90 percent or higher for the third year.

In just her second year as head women's golf coach, Kasay Gambrell, has stressed the importance of academics first to her student-athletes.

"Our athletes are students first which is why we put academics as our first priority. At the beginning of each semester, we set a goal of what we'd like to achieve in the classroom as a whole and individually.  Because of these goals, we continue to thrive in and out of the classroom," Gambrell said.

Head softball coach Windy Thees took over the softball program in 2018 and has continued to put a strong focus on academics.

"Our student-athletes take so much pride in their academic success as well as their pursuit of a career post-college," Thees said. "My staff and I have tried to continue the standard that Coach Cooke set for so many years and stress the importance of academics while these fantastic young women work on becoming the best version of themselves on and off the field.  We couldn't be prouder of our 2020 graduates and our current athletes."

Five other Winthrop sports finished above 90%. The list includes women's soccer (96), women's cross country/track (95), lacrosse (93), men's soccer (92) and men's basketball (92).

The GSR formula was created by the Division I Board of Directors in 2002. The difference between the NCAA's GSR and the federal graduation rate is that the GSR formula doesn't include student-athletes who leave a school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling at another institution. This calculation provides a more accurate assessment of student-athlete success. The federal rate includes any student who leaves a school, even if they enroll in another, as an academic failure and doesn't recognize transfer students.

To read more about the NCAA's GSR, click here.