Four Programs Earn BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards

NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference has announced the 23 teams that have been recognized with 2019-20 Team Academic Excellence Awards for having the highest collective grade-point averages in each conference sport. Creighton had four teams honored, as both its men's and women's cross country and golf programs were recognized.

Chris Gannon's women's cross country team topped the league for the third straight season, wrapping up the 2019-20 academic year with a 3.789 team GPA. It's the fifth honor in seven years since joining the BIG EAST for the Bluejay women, who were also honored in 2018-19, 2017-18 and 2015-16.

Gannon also heads the men's cross country program that attained a league-best 3.637 GPA. This year marks the third honor for CU's men's cross country program, as it was previously recognized in 2015-16 and 2014-15.

Judd Cornell's men's golf team earned a 3.78 GPA, which was good enough to win a third straight BIG EAST accolade in the classroom. CU's three consecutive BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards are tied for the longest active streak among men's programs leaguewide.

Creighton women's golf collected a 3.738 team GPA, which tied it with St. John's for BIG EAST recognition. Debbie Conry's squad has now won the award four times, having also won it in 2015-16, 2014-15 and 2013-14.

The winners were chosen based on the 2019-20 grade-point average of each student-athlete who appeared on an institution's roster as of the last contest of the championship segment in each conference-sponsored sport.

Eight schools had at least one team honored, with DePaul and St John's leading the way with six certificates each. Creighton had four teams recognized, followed by Butler with three. Georgetown, Villanova, Quinnipiac and Denver rounded out the award winners with one nod apiece.

**2019-20 BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards**
Sport	School	GPA
Baseball	St. John's	3.506
Men's Basketball	St. John's	3.396
Women's Basketball	DePaul	3.616
Men's Cross Country	Creighton	3.637
Women's Cross Country	Creighton	3.789
Men's Indoor Track & Field	Butler	3.562
Women's Indoor Track & Field	DePaul	3.668
Men's Outdoor Track & Field	Butler	3.562
Women's Outdoor Track & Field	Butler	3.667
Field Hockey	Quinnipiac	3.631
Men's Golf	Creighton	3.78
Women's Golf	St. John's & Creighton	3.738
Men's Lacrosse	St. John's	3.592
Women's Lacrosse	Denver	3.628
Men's Soccer	DePaul	3.586
Women's Soccer	St. John's	3.824
Softball	St. John's	3.685
Men's Swimming and Diving	Georgetown	3.665
Women's Swimming and Diving	Villanova	3.658
Men's Tennis	DePaul	3.89
Women's Tennis	DePaul	3.85
Volleyball	DePaul	3.715

**BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Award History (Since 2013-14)**
Sport	2019-20	2018-19	2017-18	2016-17	2015-16	2014-15	2013-14
Baseball	St. John's	St. John's	St. John's	Seton Hall	Seton Hall	St. John's	Xavier
Field Hockey	Quinnipiac	Temple	Temple	Temple	Georgetown	Temple	Georgetown
Men's Basketball	St. John's	Seton Hall	Villanova	Villanova	Villanova	Butler	Villanova
Men's Cross Country	Creighton	Marquette	Marquette	Marquette	Creighton	Creighton	Seton Hall
Men's Golf	Creighton	Creighton	Creighton	Seton Hall	Seton Hall	DePaul	DePaul
Men's Indoor Track & Field	Butler	Butler	Butler	Villanova	Butler	Butler	Marquette
Men's Lacrosse	St. John's	St. John's	Georgetown	St. John's	St. John's	St. John's	Villanova
Men's Outdoor Track & Field	Butler	Butler	Butler	Villanova	Butler	Butler	Marquette
Men's Soccer	DePaul	Seton Hall	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	St. John's	DePaul
Men's Swimming and Diving	Georgetown	Georgetown	Georgetown	Seton Hall	Georgetown	Xavier	Xavier
Men's Tennis	DePaul	Villanova	DePaul	Creighton	Creighton	Butler	Butler
Softball	St. John's	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul
Volleyball	DePaul	Seton Hall	St. John's	DePaul	DePaul	Seton Hall	Georgetown
Women's Basketball	DePaul	Creighton	Creighton	DePaul	Creighton	DePaul	DePaul
Women's Cross Country	Creighton	Creighton	Creighton	DePaul	Creighton	DePaul	Creighton
Women's Golf	Creighton & St. John's	St. John's	Seton Hall	Butler	Creighton	Creighton	Creighton
Women's Indoor Track & Field	DePaul	Butler	Georgetown	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	Butler
Women's Lacrosse	Denver	Denver	Vanderbilt	Denver	Temple	Temple	Cincinnati
Women's Outdoor Track & Field	Butler	Butler	Georgetown	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	Butler
Women's Soccer	St. John's	St. John's	St. John's	St. John's	St. John's	DePaul	Butler
Women's Swimming and Diving	Villanova	Villanova	Georgetown	Seton Hall	Seton Hall	Xavier	Butler
Women's Tennis	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul	DePaul

Four Programs Earn BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards

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