Golden Flashes Post 11th Highest GPA in NCAA

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Kent State posted the 11^th-highest team GPA for the 2020-21 season and was one of only four teams to have 100 percent of student-athletes above a 3.5 GPA, the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) announced on Wednesday.

"We are extremely proud of our Women's Gymnastics team," said Head Coach Brice Biggin. "The amount of time they dedicate to their academics and athletics shows the level of dedication each one of them has. To do this all during a pandemic just says that much more about how dedicated they were. I also want to give a huge shout out to all of our academic support staff for all they do to help these young women succeed!"

Overall, there were 58 teams with a team GPA of 3.5 or more on a 4.0 scale, up from 53 teams last year. There were 223 (15.41%) student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA, and a record number – 1,059 (73.19%) – of gymnasts with a 3.5 or better GPA. Last year there were 889 (65.56%) Academic All-America team members. This is the first time there have been more than 1,000 honorees.

"Congratulations to the student-athletes, coaches, and support staff on a record-breaking year of academic success," Kerrie Turner, WCGA president and head coach at Bowling Green, said. "The balance needed to be a successful student and athlete takes considerable planning and intentional effort, which was certainly heightened during pandemic conditions. I am thrilled to see women's gymnastics achieving incredibly high standards in the classroom during this challenging time."

The Golden Flashes have been racking up the academic achievements for the 2020-21 season, previously leading the Mid-American Conference with 13 student-athletes on the academic all-MAC team. The team's 3.8045 GPA ranked second in the MAC, just behind Northern Illinois who led the entire country.

Be sure to follow the Kent State gymnastics team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad as the Flashes prepare for the 2021-22 season.

Kent State Honorees