Scholar-Athletes Honored at Annual Ceremony

The University of Pittsburgh hosted its annual Scholar-Athlete Awards ceremony to honor and recognize more than 300 student-athletes for their outstanding academic achievements. The awards presentation was held Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Connolly Ballroom of Alumni Hall. Pitt Alumni Association President-Elect Jeffrey Kondis was among those who addressed the student-athletes.

“I’ve had the pleasure of teaching in the College of Business Administration and always look forward to having student-athletes in my class,” Kondis said to those in attendance. “You have shown what it takes be successful on the field and in the classroom. You get it. Because of that, I’m very confident that you will know what it takes to be successful in whatever you choose to do after you graduate. I look forward to welcoming you into our alumni family of almost 300,000 members around the world.”

Members of Pitt’s Academic Support Services for student-athletes handed out Blue and Gold awards to students who earned higher than a 3.0 GPA during the 2012 spring and fall semesters. In addition, Pitt Athletic Director Steve Pederson announced the academic team awards. “I believe what you are doing is exactly what we hope every student-athlete will do. You are doing so well in your sport, you are doing so well in your personal life, and you’re committed to doing so well in school,” he said. “This is such a great event because it combines all the things that I think are so important in what we are trying to do as an athletics department.”

The women’s tennis team was named the top academic team and the best women’s squad for the third consecutive year, with an impressive 3.35 GPA. The most improved team was also a women’s team, softball, which earned a cumulative 3.14 GPA. Earning the top men’s academic award was the men’s soccer team, boasting a collective 3.09 GPA. The soccer squad has captured the men’s top honor for the fourth straight year.