BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The IUP field hockey program has earned the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II National Academic Team Award and boasts the highest grade point average in the nation, announced by the NFHCA Monday.

The Crimson Hawks posted a team GPA of 3.87 during the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year. That mark leads all Division II schools and is tied for the best GPA among all field hockey programs across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III.

This is the first time IUP field hockey has topped the list and the seventh straight year the Crimson Hawks have earned the NFHCA's Academic Team Award. 

The NFHCA National Academic Team Award recognizes programs that earned a team grade-point average of 3.0 or higher during the fall semester of the 2020-2021 school year.

Top performing NCAA teams
1. IUP (Division II), 3.87
     Kean University (Division III), 3.87
     Mass. Inst. Of Tech. (Division III), 3.87
4. College of Wooster (Division III), 3.86
5. Virginia Commonwealth University (Division I), 3.84
    John Hopkins University (Division III), 3.84
7. Stanford University (Division I), 3.83
8. Haverford College (Division III), 3.82
    Stevens Inst. Of Tech. (Division III), 3.82
10. Yale University (Division I), 3.81

IUP's offseason of academic honors
This news caps a big month for the IUP field hockey program as it pertains to academic accomplishments. On March 17 the NFHCA announced individual academic selections, to which the Crimson Hawks led all Division II schools with 25 student-athletes with a GPA of 3.3 or higher. 

Last week, 11 Crimson Hawks were announced as NFHCA Scholars of Distinction, given to those with a GPA of 3.9 or higher. 

Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP field hockey on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPfieldhockey.