May 17, 2011

BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo women's tennis team was one of 909 teams across the nation to be honored by the NCAA with the APR Public Recognition Award.  Announced Tuesday morning, the public recognition award is given each year to teams scoring in the top 10 percents in each sport with their APRs.

Buffalo, which received a perfect score of 1,000, was one of four team's from the Mid-American Conference honored in women's tennis, joining Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan and Akron.

"The great thing about this honor is that is recognizes out student-athletes for more than just their success on the court," said head coach Kathy Twist.  "I am proud of the education that our athletes get and know that they are building a foundation for their futures here at the University at Buffalo."

Through its innovative APR, which provides an annual scorecard of academic achievement and retention, the NCAA tracks the classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I sports team.

Each year the NCAA honors selected Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear APR. This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams who demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. 

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance.

Multiyear APRs for all Division I sports teams, including the teams receiving public recognition, will be announced at a later date. That announcement also will include immediate and historical penalties for low-performing teams.