Spring Athletic Team GPA's Are Impressive

The Saddleback College athletic department is pleased to announce that nine of the college's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams that were in season during the Spring 2019 semester have amassed an average team grade point average over 3.00. 

Combined with eight out of 10 intercollegiate teams that were in season during the fall which posted team GPA's of 3.00 or higher, that accounts for 17 of the college's 20 sports teams finding the benchmark for overall academic achievement during the semester when their sport was in season.

"The philosopher Aristotle said, 'We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.'  I am humbled and honored to be a part of a community college that truly sets the bar on habits that support student success," said Saddleback Athletics Director Randy Totorp.  "The campus and external community have established a culture of academic excellence which is clearly demonstrated by the continued off-the-charts outcomes of our student-athletes.  I could not be more proud of each person involved, from the recruiting done by our coaches to the students putting in the extra academic work and from leaders like Kim D'Arcy in the Learning Resource Center to the administration that recognizes the value of our student-athlete cohort.  This is a very special institution."

The Saddleback women's tennis team posted an overall 3.75 team GPA on a 4.00 scale, marking the highest average team GPA ever recorded by a Gaucho team.  It edged the previous mark of 3.73 set during the Spring 2018 season by the same women's tennis team.

Four more teams averaged above a 3.00 team GPA which is unheard of at most community colleges.  The men's golf team (3.39), women's track and field program (3.37), men's swimming and diving team (3.34) and women's beach volleyball squad (3.31) each elevated their team GPA's from a year ago.  The Gaucho baseball team (3.22) and softball team (3.17) also improved their team GPA's this season.  Women's swimming and diving (3.04) and men's track and field (3.00) rounded out the outstanding academic semester for Saddleback College athletic programs.

These lofty overall team GPA's are becoming an annual ritual for many Saddleback athletic programs as the college puts an emphasis on learning, student success, graduation and transfer numbers.  This marked the seventh consecutive season that the women's swimming and diving program has eclipsed the 3.00 mark and the sixth consecutive season for women's tennis.  Men's golf reached the benchmark for the fifth consecutive season while the baseball, softball, and men's swimming and diving programs each posted their third straight spring above a 3.00.

All nine of these athletic teams will now be nominated for Orange Empire Conference scholar-team honors and an opportunity to represent the conference for statewide scholar-team recognition.