Feb. 9, 2005

LOGAN, Utah -

By Brian Evans, Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services

To look at the first four years of this century, there is a tale of two USU Gymnastics "Teams": the Team of 2000-`02 and the Team of 2003-`05. Although some student-athletes are common to both teams, there is a marked distinction of the two - Grade Point Average. The `00-`02 Team posted decent, but not remarkable, grades each semester - averaging a 2.75 GPA over the first four semesters of this century.

On the other hand, the '03-'05 team is averaging a 3.17 GPA over the past five semesters, a difference of .426. This improvement has helped the team to a current cumulative GPA of a 3.36.

The academic achievement is also evident in the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W) final academic standings the past two years. The 2002-'03 team GPA ranked last - dead last - out of approximately 70 schools nationwide. This past year's 2003-'04 team moved up 46 spots to 24th -just ahead of 25th University of Utah. Brian Evans, Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services and the sport counselor for Gymnastics, predicts a top 15 finish for 2004-'05.

"Gustavus Adolphus was 15th in '03-'04 with a 3.395. With a good spring, we can match or better that GPA" said Evans.

Head Coach Ray Corn stresses academics from day one of recruiting through to the student-athlete's last class of her senior year. The lone seniors this year, Rachel Ropelato and Katie Rutherford, are on track to graduate this spring. Next year's seniors, Ashley Barr and Liesel Kohler, will also graduate on or ahead of time. Rachael Mandy, Meagan Nelson, and Jessica Parenti would be seniors next year except they have used a redshirt season. All three will graduate and be enrolled in a master's program when they are completing their eligibility in 2007.

Coach Corn knew his team had turned the corner in 2004 when they won the Most Improved Academic Team Award at the annual Joe E. Whitesides Scholar-Athlete luncheon. The award is presented to the team that has the greatest improvement in cumulative GPA over the past academic year. The team went from a respectable 3.04 to a remarkable 3.50. His next goal is to wrestle the Outstanding Academic Team Award away from Soccer and Cross Country, who have won it the past two years, respectively.

This does not mean Corn needs to slip into a wrestling uniform, as he did when he competed in college. The key will simply be for his student-athletes to maintain a fine `balance' of athletics and academics.