<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – June 10, 2022</span></b><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-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Baylor Athletics Closes Out Stellar Semester in the Classroom</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;background:white">Bears total highest term percentage of Academic Champions</span></b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;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">Katy Gilmore, 254-252-2182, </span><a href="mailto:katy_gilmore@baylor.edu" title="mailto:katy_gilmore@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">katy_gilmore@baylor.edu</span></a><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1"> </span></u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;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-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>WACO, Texas –</b> Baylor Athletics closed out the Spring 2022 semester with a record-setting 324 Academic Champions (61%), surpassing the previous record of 308 set last semester.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For the third-consecutive academic term, one third of the BU student-athletes achieved a personal-best GPA, the highest percentage to date.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over all sports, Baylor has a current 3.33 cumulative GPA with the spring term sitting at a 3.26, marking the 28<sup>th</sup>-consecutive semester with a 3.0 term GPA or higher. It also marks the 23<sup>rd</sup>-consecutive semester with
above a 3.1 GPA and makes 16 of the last 18 semesters with above a 3.2 GPA.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">“Our student-athletes never cease to amaze me,” said Ramone Cooper, Associate AD of Academic Services. </span>“<span style="color:black">I was unsure how we could top our record-setting fall term, but the students
have done it again. We pride ourselves on <i>Preparing Champions for Life, </i>and Academic Achievement is a big part of that.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">“Having set the record for the highest percentage of Academic Champions (61%) in a semester, excluding Spring 2020, is proof that our students remain focused on raising the bar. Accomplishments such as these could
not be made possible without the efforts of our Academic Services team. SACE academic coaches, learning specialists and tutor coordinator continuously play an integral role in our students’ success.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the classroom, 375 student-athletes finished with a 3.0 or higher, with 13 teams seeing at least 60% of their athletes achieve a 3.0 mark.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">“To have over one-third of our student-athletes achieve their personal best term GPA is amazing,” said Emily DeRatt, Director of Academic Services. “We are constantly pushing our students to compete against themselves
each semester and try to be better than they were previously, and they continue to rise to challenge. It’s truly a pleasure to serve student-athletes on a daily basis who are focused on achieving excellence through their personal best in every aspect of their
lives, whether it be on the field, academically or through Character Formation opportunities.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An impressive 87 Baylor student-athletes finished the term with a perfect 4.0 GPA, led by women’s track and field with 17 and women’s cross country with 12. Volleyball and soccer had eight and six, respectively, and men’s and women’s golf
each boasted three. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A total of 148 student-athletes made the Dean’s list, with a term GPA of 3.7 or higher. Equestrian led the charge with 29 on the list, followed by women’s cross country with 16 and women’s golf with four.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">“Our students and staff are never satisfied academically,” said Lauren Kirby, Director of Learning Support. “Students continue to work hard inside and outside of the classroom, and our staff continues to push them
towards new personal bests. The SACE team is committed to ensuring our students have the resources and support needed to succeed, and our students take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. The success this semester was a team effort and a testament
to the culture of academic excellence that has become the standard at Baylor.”</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For the full 2021-22 academic year, Baylor Athletics posted a 3.32 GPA and had 10 out of 17 sports record a 3.30 team GPA or better.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="color:black">- BaylorBears.com - </span></i><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">-- <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">__________________________________</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:6.5pt;color:black"> </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#154734">Katy Gilmore</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"> | Associate Director of Athletic Communications</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">O: 254-710-2743 | C: 254-252-2182</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://baylorbears.com/" title="http://baylorbears.com/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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@01D87CB4.D05E5430" alt="cidimage002.png@01D79F3C.9D2300D0"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>