Sagehen Athletics Leads in Academic Rankings Across Divisions

Claremont, Calif. (September 18, 2023)—For Pomona-Pitzer student-athletes, what happens in the classroom is just as important as what happens on the court, field, pool, or track. Sagehens work hard and play hard, and the proof is in their GPA.  

According to recent results from several nationwide collegiate athletic organizations, our swimming and diving teams led all divisions with women earning the highest GPA and men the second-highest GPA—outperforming Division I teams including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Women’s lacrosse also dominated all divisions with the top GPA. Men’s track & field ranked with the second-highest GPA in Division III, while women’s track & field earned fourth in Division III. Women’s softball came in third for Division III. 

For more information on these results, read the following roundup of Sagehen Athletics’ latest academic honors. 

Women’s Category 

A row of women divers mid-jump into a pool.

Women’s Swimming & Diving Named CSCAA Scholar All-American Team 

The Pomona-Pitzer women’s swimming and diving program achieved the highest team GPA across all divisions in NCAA as announced by the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Scholar All-American Teams. 

Pomona-Pitzer retained its top GPA from the fall and led all divisions in both men’s and women’s programs with a 3.88 GPA. Additionally, 12 Sagehens earned Scholar All-American status. 

The women's lacrosse team embrace each other and cheer victoriously on the field. They wear blue Sagehens uniforms with white and orange accent colors.

Women’s Lacrosse Recognized as Academic Merit Squad by IWLCA 

The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) announced Pomona-Pitzer women’s lacrosse as an Academic Merit Squad, which is designated for the top teams in each division with the highest team GPA. The Sagehens claimed the top GPA in all divisions with a 3.835 GPA. 

The team also had 14 Sagehens named to the IWLCA Division III Academic Honor Roll. 

Women’s Track & Field Receives USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Honors 

The Pomona-Pitzer women’s track & field team earned All-Academic Team status and five individual athletes achieved All-Academic status as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Sagehens achieved a team GPA of 3.81, which was fourth overall in Division III. 

The women's softball team stand in a circle with their coaches on a field. The team wears blue Sagehens uniforms with orange and white socks.

Women’s Softball Earns Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete Honors 

Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has recognized the Pomona-Pitzer women’s softball team as having the third-highest GPA (3.755) in Division III with 18 All-American Scholar-Athlete honors. 

Six members women's golf stand in a row on a field. They wear blue shirts and white shorts and skirts for their uniform.

Women’s Golf Named Top Academic Team by WGCA 

The Pomona-Pitzer women’s golf team is one of the top academic teams in Division III as announced by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA). The Sagehens finished with the sixth-highest GPA in Division III with a 3.739. Six Sagehens were named to the WGCA All-American Scholar Team. 

Women’s Tennis Earns ITA All-Academic Team 

The Pomona-Pitzer women’s tennis team earned All-Academic Team honors as well as having 13 Scholar-Athletes selected by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). 

The Sagehens earned All-Academic status for having a team GPA of 3.2 or higher. All-Academic status is awarded to scholar-athletes for earning a GPA of 3.5 or higher. 

The women's volleyball team stand in a circle on a court. They wear black uniforms with orange, white, and blue accent colors and white knee pads.

Women’s Volleyball Achieves USMC/AVCA Team Academic Honor Roll 

The Pomona-Pitzer women’s volleyball team earned Team Academic Honors and the Team Academic Award Honor Roll as announced by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). 

With a team GPA of 3.77, the Sagehens earned the Honor Roll distinction that represents the top 20 percent of team GPAs in each division. 

A water polo player holds up a yellow ball while other players splash around her.

Women’s Water Polo Receives 17 ACWPC All-Academic Awards 

The Pomona-Pitzer women’s water polo team had 17 student-athletes who earned All-Academic Awards from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC). 

Men’s Category 

Track and field runners leap over a barrier on the track.

Men’s Track & Field Achieves Team USTFCCCA Academic Award 

The Pomona-Pitzer men’s track & field team earned All-Academic Team status as well as having 11 individuals who received All-Academic status as announced by the USTFCCCA. 

The Sagehens earned All-Academic Team status after they achieved a team GPA of 3.738, which was second in Division III. 

Men’s Swimming & Diving Named CSCAA Scholar All-American Team 

The Pomona-Pitzer men’s swimming and diving team was named a Scholar All-American Team with the second-highest team GPA across all divisions as announced by the CSCAA. 

The Sagehens finished with a team GPA of 3.85, which was second in Division III and second among all divisions. Eight Sagehens were named Scholar All-Americans.  

The men's baseball team gather on a field to cheer in victory. They wear white uniforms with blue and orange hats and long-sleeved blue shirts

Men’s Baseball Earns ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award 

The Pomona-Pitzer men’s baseball team earned the Team Academic Excellence Award from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). The award honors teams that posted a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale. 

The men's golf team stand for a group picture on a field. They wear light blue shirts with a small Cecil Sagehen logo on the upper left and black pants for their uniform.

Men’s Golf Receives GCAA Team Presidents Special Recognition 

The Pomona-Pitzer men’s golf team has achieved Presidents Special Recognition according to an announcement by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). The Sagehens were one of 11 Division III teams that earned the Presidents Special Recognition for having a team GPA above a 3.5. 

Four Sagehens were named to the GCAA All-American Scholar team for NCAA III. 

Men’s Tennis Earns ITA All-Academic Team 

The Pomona-Pitzer men’s tennis team earned All-Academic Team honors as well as having 12 Scholar-Athletes announced by the ITA. The Sagehens earned All-Academic status for having a team GPA of 3.2 or higher.  

Men’s Basketball Receives NABC Team Academic Excellence Award 

The Pomona-Pitzer men’s basketball team has received the Team Academic Excellence Award with Honors Court distinction from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). 

To receive the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award, a program must achieve a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court recognizes student-athletes who have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.  

Information and photos courtesy of Sagehen Athletics. 

About Pitzer College

Pitzer College is a nationally top-ranked undergraduate liberal arts and sciences institution. A member of The Claremont Colleges, Pitzer offers a distinctive approach to a liberal arts education by linking intellectual inquiry with interdisciplinary studies, cultural immersion, social responsibility, and community involvement. For more information, please visit ah.dontbinitsellit.com.

About Sagehen Athletics

Pitzer College joins with Pomona College to field 21 varsity teams – The Sagehens – that compete in Division III NCAA athletics and as members of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). There are 10 men’s and 11 women’s teams: baseball (men), basketball, cross country, football (men), golf, lacrosse (women), soccer, softball (women), swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball (women) and water polo.

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