TROY, N.Y. - The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) field hockey team earned a 2008 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III Academic Team Award with a team grade point average of 3.53 for the fall ’08 semester. Rensselaer ranks second in Division III and third nationally when including all divisions. This is the third time in the last five years RPI has been ranked in the top five. The Red Hawks were first in both 2004 and 2005.
“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our student-athletes on the field and in the classroom.” said head coach Bridget LaNoir ‘99, a former RPI field hockey and ice hockey captain who has been the coach since 2001. “Our student-athletes work extremely hard to achieve goals they are passionate about.”
Swarthmore College is first in Division III with a team GPA of 3.59. Haverford College is third (3.51), followed by Connecticut College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which are tied for fourth (3.50). LaSalle University is first in Division I (3.56) and Kutztown University has the highest team GPA in Division II (3.51).
Individually, Rensselaer placed 16 team members on the National Academic Squad, including three four-year award recipients in seniors Lisa Pak (Methuen, MA/Methuen), Stephanie Petta (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) and Sara Stylinski (Southington, CT/Southington).
The field hockey team also saw 23 of its 25 members qualify for the Dean’s List last semester, including three student-athletes with perfect 4.0 grade point averages. There were 15 members who earned a 3.50 GPA or better.
The Red Hawks, who finished 8-9 and played in the Liberty League Tournament Semifinals, helped RPI student-athletes post an average grade point average of 3.07 for the term. That GPA ranked higher than that of the entire campus, which had an average of 3.04, as well as that of non-student-athletes, which was also 3.04. Eleven of Rensselaer’s athletic programs boasted average GPAs of 3.20 or better.
