In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that drastically changed the institute’s education format mid-semester, Georgia Tech athletes set an athletic department record for GPA. Tech’s 405 athletes turned in a 3.23 mean GPA for the spring semester. The previous record was 3.00, which Yellow Jackets athletes had earned the previous three semesters. Tech’s 113 freshman athletes earned a cumulative 3.27, also a record for the department.
Of all varsity athletes, 70% earned a 3.0 or higher. Twelve of Tech’s 13 teams earned a 3.0 or higher, and eight of the 13 set team records – baseball (3.40), women’s basketball (3.31) football (3.00), softball (3.37), men’s swimming and diving (3.46), women’s swimming and diving (3.59), men’s tennis (3.48) and men’s track and field/cross country (3.25).
The improvement tracked with the student body as a whole. Tech undergraduates averaged a 3.35 GPA in the fall of 2019 and earned a cumulative 3.55 in the spring.
» More AJC coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
In a statement, athletic director Todd Stansbury commended athletes for their fortitude in the face of the circumstances. After the spread of the coronavirus closed campus in mid-March, classes were conducted in a distance-learning format for the remainder of the semester. The final exam period ended April 30.
He also acknowledged the work of the athletic department’s academic support staff and coaches for their focus on athletes’ well-being and prioritization of finishing the semester well.
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