ST. LOUIS - - Belmont University has been awarded the 2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference All-Academic Award, the league office announced Wednesday.

During the 2024-25 academic year, Belmont student-athletes posted a 3.573 grade-point average, placing ahead of Drake and Indiana State.
 
Every year since 2002-03, the MVC All-Academic Award has been presented to the member institution that finishes the school year with the best grade-point average among its student-athletes who participate in a Valley-sponsored sport.

Belmont University has now claimed a conference academic achievement award 22 of the last 24 academic years. It marks the 13th straight crown for Belmont, who claimed the honor every year of its membership in the Ohio Valley Conference (2012-22).
 
10 Belmont teams posted a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

"Belmont student-athletes continue to embody the heart and spirit of our University and are strong representatives of our SOUL framework," said Belmont President Greg Jones. "As college athletics navigates a period of significant change, Belmont student-athletes remain steadfast and inspirational leaders within the NCAA. This accomplishment adds yet another chapter to our ongoing story of academic excellence, athletic championship success, and service to the Nashville community and beyond."

"Student-athlete achievement is an enormous source of pride for our athletic department, alumni and university as a whole," said Belmont Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Corley. " Winning a conference academic trophy for a 13^th consecutive year is testament to the determination and focus of our student-athletes. Belmont's extraordinary standard of academic excellence places us among the most prestigious universities in NCAA Division I."

This past year, 84 percent of eligible Belmont student-athletes posted a 3.0 grade-point average or higher, with a remarkable two-thirds earning a 3.5 GPA or higher.

For the 2025 spring semester, the departmental grade-point average (GPA) was 3.528, which marked the 55^th consecutive semester that Belmont student-athletes have earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 
 
Belmont women's tennis led the department with a team GPA of 3.948.

Belmont had 47 student-athletes earn College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors.

In fact, 32 student-athletes carried a perfect 4.0 GPA for the 2024-25 academic year:

• Aidan Braccia, men's basketball
• Diego Castro, men's tennis
• AJ Elliott, men's soccer
• Baie Ensio, softball
• Grace Evans, volleyball
• Alexa Fortman, women's cross country and track & field
• Brooke Garter, women's cross country and track & field
• Betsy Gordon, women's cross country and track & field
• Chris Harpum, men's golf
• Sydney Jones, women's soccer
• Tuti Jones, women's basketball
• Sophie Klaver, women's soccer
• Tyler Lundblade, men's basketball
• Reuben Macdonald, men's cross country and track & field
• Trey Maeker, baseball
• Sarah McElrath, women's tennis
• Jennifer Mims, women's track & field
• Emory Moore, women's track & field
• McKenna Prouty, women's track & field
• Erina Shin, volleyball
• Saimee Shin, cheerleading
• Hana Sokolovic, women's tennis
• Rachel Soukup, women's cross country and track & field
• Rebekah Stucker, women's track & field
• Liz Suder, women's basketball
• Lillie Tabor, women's soccer
• Chloe Tarkany, women's golf
• Kaitlyn Vanderkolk, women's cross country and track & field
• Nicola van der Merwe, women's track & field
• Kate Virtel, women's soccer
• Isaiah Walker, men's basketball
• Carson Wasemiller, women's cross country and track & field

Belmont University athletic teams also performed among the nation's best in the annual NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate report.

Belmont's 17 sponsored sports averaged an astounding 992 out of 1000 APR score. Six Belmont teams - men's basketball, men's golf, men's tennis, women's cross country, women's soccer, and women's track – received NCAA Public Recognition Awards, as each earned a perfect 1000 APR score.

This past December, Belmont led the MVC and ranked Top-25 nationally among all NCAA Division I institutions in Graduation Success Rate (GSR), joining the likes of Duke, Notre Dame, Yale, and Dartmouth. This marks the 11^th straight year that Belmont has finished in the top-25 nationally in Graduation Success Rate.