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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – Feb. 12, 2020</span></b><b><span style="font-size:24.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Strong Academics Highlight a Banner Fall 2019 Semester for Baylor Athletics<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">The Bears were outstanding in the classroom in the fall.
</span></i></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">For more information contact: </span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Rachel Caton, (254) 652-2061, </span><a href="mailto:Rachel_Caton@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#954F72">Rachel_Caton@baylor.edu</span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">WACO, Texas</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> – Fall of 2019 was not just a banner semester for Baylor athletics in between the lines, but also in the classroom. From
personal bests to the Dean’s List to Academic Champions, the Bears were elite in the classroom.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">36 percent, or more than one out of every three student-athletes reached a personal best GPA during the fall 2019 term. Football led the way with 25 student-athletes achieving a new personal
best, whereas men’s tennis led all teams, with 80 percent of their roster earning the honor.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“Being able to achieve over one-third of our student-athletes reaching a personal best GPA is a testament to their buy-in of our mission to Prepare Champions for Life,” said Deedee Brown-Campbell,
Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services. “Working to get better every day- in the classroom and on their field of play is what it’s all about!”.
</span><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The fall term also brought about record-setting term GPAs for acrobatics & tumbling, baseball, football, soccer and women’s cross country. Of those setting new term GPA bests, women’s soccer
led the way with a 3.64 fall term GPA. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">The athletics term GPA was a 3.24, marking the 23<sup>rd</sup> consecutive semester with above a 3.00 term GPA. Overall, current Baylor student-athletes boast a cumulative GPA of 3.28.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">25 percent of Baylor student-athletes made Baylor’s Dean’s List, boasting a term GPA of 3.70 or higher, with no lower than a C in 12 credit hours or more. Women’s track and field led the way
with 28 student-athletes being named to the Dean’s List, followed by equestrian with 17.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><dfn><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-style:normal">Chris Johnson, Assistant Athletic Director of Academic Services</span></dfn><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">, believes having the right mindset is the key
to success.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">“Our student-athletes continue to attack each semester with a mindset of performing at a personal best level. This mentality translates into success for every measurable statistic that reflects
academic achievement,” Johnson said. “I am humbled by the energy, effort, and determination that each of our student-athletes are willing to pour into their academic endeavors in order to see this sustained success.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">An impressive 55 student-athletes finished the term with a 4.00 GPA, led by women’s track and field with 11 student-athletes earning the honor, followed by acrobatics & tumbling with nine.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">222 student-athletes (42 percent) were deemed Academic Champions, a mark for those that reached a GPA of 3.50 or higher, earned a personal best GPA, or graduated in the fall term.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Finally, 65 percent of student-athletes were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, earning a 3.0 GPA or better during the fall semester.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">-baylorbears.com-<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#154734">Rachel Caton</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Sports Information Director</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">Department of Athletics | Baylor University</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">O: 254-710-3784 | C: 254-652-2061</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="160" height="44" style="width:1.6666in;height:.4583in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D5E1A0.C5E2F4E0" alt="cid:image001.png@01D5070F.1E7C3CA0"></span></a><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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