Thursday, June 9, 2011

Top of the Class!

This press release warrants an academic update for all who have an interest in our program. SIUE Women's Soccer continues its fine tradition of excellence in the classroom with the following announcement in relation to the Spring 2011 Semester.

In total for the 2010-11 school year, the team has had 5 players recognized by the NSCAA as Scholar All Central Region recipients, 8 different players garner a perfect 4.0 GPA, 13 Deans List honorees and 10 OVC Comissioner's List recipients. Not to mention the highest overall Team GPA for the Fall semester and the highest Women's team GPA for the Spring. Great Day to be a Cougar!

SIUE Student-Athletes Post 3.0 GPA for 10th Straight Semester
EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. – SIUE student-athletes posted a combined 3.124 grade point average (GPA) and have now excelled to a GPA of 3.0 or better for 10 consecutive semesters.

The spring semester featured 11 athletic programs which finished with a GPA of better than 3.0. It closed out a highly-successful year for Cougar student-athletes who also posted an all-time best 3.172 GPA during the 2010 fall semester.

“This milestone of 10 consecutive semesters should not go without fanfare. These student-athletes work hard in the classroom, and their efforts should be lauded,” said SIUE Director of Athletics Dr. Brad Hewitt. “They have demonstrated their commitment to academic success and eliminated the concern that Division I athletics would diminish our academic performance.”

Men’s golf earned the highest GPA of any SIUE athletics program with a combined 3.619. Women’s soccer earned the best GPA among the women’s programs with a 3.428.

Nine other programs also finished better than 3.0. They include men’s track and field (3.077), women’s track and field (3.025), men’s cross country (3.286), women’s cross country (3.211), softball (3.268), men’s tennis (3.183), women’s tennis (3.383), volleyball (3.229) and women’s golf (3.212).

Better than 62 percent of all SIUE student-athletes (158 of 253) finished with a GPA of 3.0 or better. There were 75 student-athletes who were named to SIUE’s Dean’s List, having posted a GPA of better than 3.5.

“Timely graduation is the focal point of our mission in Intercollegiate Athletics. The University’s support structure that is in place continues to reinforce the outstanding achievement for SIUE student-athletes,” said Hewitt.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Coaching Staff Hit the Recruiting Trail

Wow, it has been awhile. The end of the semester, the spring in general and the start of summer have all come so quickly!

I wanted to get back in touch to give a quick update with what is going on at SIUE. The spring season ended on a great note with three wins in our last three spring contests. Some players got some valuable playing time in new positions. But most importantly, the entire team began to develop an understanding of a couple new tactical formations. We were focused on expanding our soccer IQs and trained in a couple new formations, then carried those into our spring games. The results were mixed of course, like with anything new. But the exposure to ideas and what they can do for us as we move into Ohio Valley Conference play this fall was of great value.

The last couple weeks Alaina and I have spent a ton of time watching the high school playoffs, that just finished this past weekend. Being in such a great soccer playing metropolitan area is a major plus for our program...but it means logging literally thousands of miles to continually watch our incoming signed class of 2011, our verbally committed players of the 2012 class and all the potential future Cougars of the 2013 class!

The endless job of recruiting quality student athletes is one that our staff thrives on. So if you see us out and about, please say hello.

Here are a few links on some of things that have popped up at SIUE this Spring and Early Summer:
*2nd Annual SIUE Golf Scramble
*SIUE Summer Soccer Camps
And of course we will have more updates on our incoming players, preseason, the release of our 2011 Schedule and of course more recruiting trips this weekend to Illinois State Cup in Rockford and Missouri State Cup in St.Louis!

Take care! Go Cougars!