NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State Athletics Department completed another excellent academic year in 2020-21 despite the challenges faced from the coronavirus pandemic, including an outstanding spring semester in the classroom. NSU continued to raise its department GPA while seeing an increase in the number of students above a 3.0.
 
A few highlights for this spring:
•    11 teams posted a spring GPA over 3.0
•    11 teams now have a cumulative GPA over 3.0
•    171 student-athletes now have over a 3.0 cumulative GPA
•    18 student-athletes earned a 4.0 semester GPA 
•    186 student-athletes earned AD Honor Roll Accolades (semester GPA over 3.0)
•    30 student-athletes earned their degrees in May
•    Collectively, NSU's student-athletes posted a semester GPA of 3.21, raising the department's cumulative GPA to 3.15.
 
"My staff and I are very pleased with the extraordinary success our student-athletes have achieved both academically and athletically this semester. Despite navigating the challenges of the pandemic, they have continued to show great resilience and perseverance," said Ivana Rich, NSU's associate athletics director for academic support. "We credit their noteworthy strides to the collaborative efforts of our faculty, staff and coaches who continue to support our student-athletes in their academic and athletic endeavors. We look forward to their continued success as we prepare for the start of a new academic year."
 
Men's and women's tennis led the way this spring, posting team GPAs of 3.77 and 3.76, respectively, for the semester. Women's cross country was not far behind at 3.71, while bowling finished with a team GPA of 3.56.
 
Other programs above 3.0 for the semester included men's cross country (3.46), softball (3.44), volleyball (3.43), women's basketball (3.41), baseball (3.31), men's track and field (3.21) and football (3.14).
 
Men's tennis (3.74) and women's tennis (3.68) lead the way in cumulative GPA following the spring, followed by men's cross country (3.48), women's cross country (3.45) and softball (3.44).
 
Volleyball (3.34), bowling (3.33), men's track and field (3.25), baseball (3.19), women's track and field (3.13) and football (3.00) also can boast cumulative GPAs 3.0 or above.
 
The department's 3.15 cumulative GPA is an increase from both the fall, when it had a 3.10 GPA, and last spring, when its cumulative GPA was 3.04. With 171 student-athletes above a 3.0 cumulative GPA, that total represents an increase from 154 in the fall and 140 last spring.
 
The Spartans finished with 50 graduates for the entire year, which includes two last summer and 18 in the fall. In addition, NSU's totals of 170 and 186 for the AD Honor Roll in the fall and spring, respectively, are the second and third-most the department has ever had. The record is 189 set in the spring of 2020.