Just two years after having the most sports penalized for academic for any one NCAA division one school, the Sacramento State athletic department was awarded with 27 fall student-athletes being named to Big Sky Conference all-academic honors.

Sac State has focused on academics in recent years, due to the university being hammered two years ago on academic sanctions.

However the recent hard work the athletic department has put in is apparent in postseason academic awards.

The Big Sky Conference named 27 Hornets student-athletes on the fall all-academic team, which was announced Feb. 4.

The athletes needed to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher in order to be eligible for the award.

The football team led the way with 10 athletes recognized. Football was followed by women’s soccer and women’s cross country, both with five members on the team. Volleyball had four men’s cross-country had three.

Sac State’s overall athletic GPA has been on the rise. Of the 21 categories that are charted for athletics, the overall average GPA is 2.957. The men’s teams are averaging 2.927 and the women’s teams are slightly higher with 2.966.

“The 2.957 is the highest it has ever been during Dr. Terry Wanless’ tenure,” said Deputy Director of Athletics Bill Macriss. “I have been here for 14 years and that is the highest overall GPA we have had.”

Macriss said the athletic department’s ultimate goal is to get the overall GPA above 3.0.Women’s soccer head coach Randy Dedini said one of his players, senior Kimberly Kemper, does what it takes to do well off the field.

“She is one of the hardest working players I have coached here at Sac State,” Dedini said.Kemper said it is an honor being a student-athlete.

“It means devoting a great deal of your time and energy to studying for your classes and training and competing in your sport,” Kemper said.

Scott Grose of the men’s cross country team said he was excited when he was informed of the honor.

“It’s nice to be recognized and to be a part of that small group,” Grose said.Of the 27 athletes named to the all-academic team, 12 of them posted a 4.0 GPA Macriss said.

Matt Harrington can be reached at [email protected]