EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – For 20 full years (40 consecutive semesters) SIUE student-athletes have earned a grade point average better than 3.0. In the recently completed spring semester, student-athletes earned a combined GPA of 3.411, which marks the fourth semester in a row at or above 3.3.

"We are incredibly proud of the academic success of our student-athletes," Vice Chancellor / Director of Athletics Andrew Gavin said. "Our student-athletes balance demanding schedules yet continue to make academic success a priority. We are grateful for the commitment by our coaches, our staff, and our colleagues on campus that support our student-athletes. The leadership and hard work of Jaci DeClue and Ashley Beaton Simpson continue to be the foundation for this success."

For the eighth time, tennis earned the highest overall team GPA of 3.920, which sets the new record for team GPA achieved by an SIUE program. Volleyball earned the second-highest GPA overall and second highest of the women's teams at 3.752, which is their highest team GPA in the Division I era. Women's soccer and women's basketball tied to round out the top three GPA on the women's side, each earning a 3.543.

Golf earned the highest GPA on the men's side and came in third overall at a 3.746, which is their highest GPA in Division I history. Men's soccer was second among men's teams with a 3.548 while baseball earned a 3.304 to place third among men's teams for the spring 2026 semester.

For the semester, the women's team average was 3.538. The men's team average was 3.303. Six out of 14 teams earned better than a 3.400 and all teams earned above a 3.0 for the second semester in a row.

Better than 73 percent of SIUE student-athletes earned a 3.0 or higher and an impressive 67 student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0, which is 25 percent of SIUE's student-athlete population.

Seven student-athletes have maintained a 4.0 cumulative GPA for at least three consecutive semesters: Spencer Stearns (baseball) and Ava Gugliuzza (women's basketball), Arianna Neisen (women's cross country & track and field), Erica Woodard (women's cross country & track and field), Sophie Robinson (volleyball), Stefaniya Anikina (tennis), Tyler Browning (men's cross country & track and field).

SIUE athletics also recognizes first-year transfers, freshman and continuing students who earned a perfect 4.0 for the full 25-26 academic year: Porter Conn (baseball), Trent Koehler (baseball), Gabe Nutter (baseball), Joseph Martin (baseball), Daniel Dierer (baseball), Tyler Powell (baseball), Rory Conboy (women's basketball),  Reece Wolf (men's cross country and track), Alexis Kampwerth (women's cross country and track), Louis Kruger (men's Soccer), Ioannis Koupepides (men's soccer), Claire Jones (volleyball), Taylor Babb (women's soccer), Keira Bumiller (women's soccer), Anna Zichella (women's Soccer), Claire Neroda (women's soccer), Elle van Bruesegen (softball), Kiana Villa (softball), Bianca Morrell (softball), Aliya Rector (tennis), Emerson Metzger (tennis), Jessica Li (tennis), Mya Bowe (tennis), Cydney Rogers (tennis), Zach Lane (men's track), Jazmin West (women's track), Harper Smith (women's track), Cassidy Short (women's track), Ella Sager (women's track), Megan Derrick (women's track), Aseanti Boone (women's track), Kaylee Allen (women's track), Brock Woodcock (wrestling), Caleb Tyus (wrestling), Caleb Neal (wrestling), and Bryson Buhk (wrestling).

The yearly departmental average was 3.413. The men's team average for the year was 3.287 and the women's was 3.575. For the year, 87% of SIUE student-athletes earned over a 3.00 and 91% of student-athletes ended the year with a cumulative GPA over 3.0.