Brawn and brains

Eastern Washington University's women's golf team boasts the highest grade point average of all teams in the Big Sky Conference with a 3.59 cumulative GPA. In fact, EWU ranked number one in all Big Sky schools in the 2008-2009 school year with a combined GPA of 3.2.

Along with the golfers, the volleyball team took third place in the Big Sky by maintaining a 3.52, and the women's cross country team tied for fourth place with a 3.51.

On the men's side, EWU's cross country team took first with a 3.43.

Being a student-athlete isn't an easy task. Miles Kydd, EWU's volleyball coach, said, "Athletes can't spend more than 20 hours a week with the team. That includes practice, meetings, weights. But when it comes to games, it doesn't include travel. This weekend, we left at noon on Thursday."

But missing one day of class may even be lucky for EWU's athletes. "Last year, our schedule was games on Thursday and Saturday, so we left for games on Wednesdays and the team missed at least two days of school a week," said Kydd. Still, the team is able to keep up with classes and even excel in them.

"I think that's the life of a student-athlete though," Kydd said, "because you're so busy you know you can't put homework off. You have to think, 'If I don't do this now, when am I going to do it?'"

EWU has an impressive history of student-athletes. In 2007 fall sports, 92 athletes were on the Dean's List including Carrie Conners who played EWU soccer and was named to the ESPN Academic All-District Eight third team and basketball player Syndey Bensen. National Soccer Coaches Association of America and Adidas presented the EWU soccer team with the academic award for the eighth time. Student-athletes also averaged more than 14 credits, which is higher than the general student body.

EWU also took fourth in the Sterling Savings Bank Presidents' Cup, an award that combines athletic and academic achievements. Team grade point averages, graduation rates and number of

All-Conference athletes with a GPA of 3.0 or above are taken into account. Weber State took first in the cup standings, Montana was second and Northern Arizona third.

For the 2008-2009 season, Montana State took the second place spot with a cumulative GPA of 3.2, and Weber State was third at 3.18. The league as a whole posted impressive numbers with seven out of nine institutions attaining a 3.0 GPA or higher.