Aug. 11, 2006

IRVING, Texas - Conference USA Commissioner Britton Banowsky has named the recipients of its Institutional Excellence Award and Sports Academic Awards.

The Institutional Excellence Award is given to the C-USA institution with the highest grade point average during the current academic year for all student-athletes in conference sponsored sports. In its first year as a C-USA member, Rice University earned the award with an annual grade point average of 3.096, with a record nine teams representing their respective sport's top GPA. Rice baseball and men's tennis teams, as well as the East Carolina women's golf squad, also each won the C-USA Championship for their respective sport.

The Sport Academic Award is given to the team in each conference-sponsored sport with the highest grade point average for the current academic year. The Tulsa women's cross country squad posted the highest annual GPA with a 3.584. Following is a list of the Sports Academic award honorees:

Sport - Recipient - GPA
Baseball (Rice 3.069)
Men's Basketball (Rice 2.947)
Women's Basketball (UCF 3.225)
Men's Cross Country (Rice 3.333)
Women's Cross Country (Tulsa 3.584)
Football (Rice 2.809)
Men's Golf (Rice 3.522)
Women's Golf (East Carolina 3.575)
Men's Soccer (Kentucky** 3.044)
Women's Soccer (Tulsa 3.451)
Softball (Marshall 3.391)
Women's Swimming (Marshall 3.395)
Men's Tennis (Memphis 3.405)
Women's Tennis (Rice 3.493)
Men's Track and Field (Rice 3.216)
Women's Track and Field (Rice 3.301)
Volleyball (Rice 3.323)
**affiliate member for men's soccer only