CLEVELAND -- The Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) announced the 2018-19 recipients of the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Awards. The Academic Achievement Awards, in its 12^th year, is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level.

In total, there were 11,660 student-athletes from 185 institutions recognized for the 2018-19 Academic Achievement Awards. This set the record for the most participation from institutions and the largest number of student-athletes being nominated. This year, the association has the most student-athletes being honored from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), with 975, closely followed by the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) with 974 and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) with 791.

"I am very excited to see the highest number of student-athletes get recognized for their academic achievements this past year," said D2 ADA President Chris Ratcliff, director of athletics at Rogers State University. "The number of institutions recognizing their student-athletes' academic achievements continues to rise. As a Board, this is perhaps one of our biggest initiatives. We see the value of acknowledging academic achievements. This a way for our member institutions, through D2 ADA, to recognize our student-athletes."

Independently, the GMAC's University of Findlay moved up to lead the pack this year with 211 honorees, followed by the GLVC's University of Indianapolis with 163 award winners. Rounding out the top-three finishers among institutions is a tie with Tiffin University out of the GMAC with 149 recipients and SAC's Queens University of Charlotte with 149 recipients. The top-five concluded with Gannon University out of the PSAC with 144 nominees.

In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the athletics director of the Division II institution MUST BE a CURRENT dues-paying member of the D2 ADA.

Also, the student-athlete must:
•                have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
•                have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work
•                have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year

About D2 ADA: The D2 ADA is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities; enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics; and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of Division II athletics directors. For more information about the D2 ADA, please visit www.div2ada.com. The D2 ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 55^th year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

The following institutions submitted student-athletes (#) for the Division 2 ADA Academic Achievement Award:

Institution	# Nominees		Institution	# Nominees
California Collegiate			MEC
Cal Poly Pomona	31		Notre Dame College	66
Cal State East Bay	52		Shepherd University	54
Cal State Monterey Bay	62		University of Charleston (WV)	66
Cal State San Marcos	47		Urbana University	55
California State University - San Bernardino	31		University of Virginia - Wise	20
California State University - Stanislaus	41			261
Chico State	47		Northeast 10
San Francisco State	38		Adelphi University	105
UC San Diego	45		Assumption College	70
	394		Bentley University	129
CACC			Franklin Pierce University	73
Bloomfield University	22		Le Moyne College	63
Caldwell University	43		Merrimack College	95
Chestnut Hill College	62		Pace University	91
Concordia (NY) College	22		Saint Anselm	17
Dominican College of Blauvelt	25		Saint Michael's College	97
Felician University	32		Southern Connecticut State University	88
Georgian Court University	50		Stonehill College	75
Goldey-Beacom University	50		University of New Haven	71
Holy Family University	36			974
Post University	74		NSIC
Thomas Jefferson University	88		Bemidji State University	49
University of the Sciences	52		Minnesota State University - Mankato	76
Wilmington (DE) University	65		Minnesota State University - Moorhead	96
	621		Minot State University	42
CIAA			University of Minnesota - Crookston	64
Bowie State University	10		University of Minnesota - Duluth	41
Elizabeth City State University	11		University of Sioux Falls	103
Fayetteville State University	21		Wayne State (NE) College	98
Lincoln (PA) University	22		Winona State University	70
Saint Augustine's University	30			639
Virginia State University	36		Pacific West
	130		Academy of Art University	18
Conference Carolinas			Biola University	67
Barton College	69		Chaminade University	42
Chowan University	49		Dominican University of California	54
Converse College	41		Fresno Pacific University	41
King University	96		Holy Names University	45
Lees-McRae College	49		Point Loma Nazarene University	84
Limestone College	113		University of Hawai'i at Hilo	31
University of Mount Olive	76			382
	493		Peach Belt
ECC			Augusta University	46
Daemen College	28		Clayton State University	15
Mercy College	49		Flagler College	41
Molloy College	79		Francis Marion University	35
New York Institute of Technology	46		Georgia College	43
Roberts Wesleyan College	60		Georgia Southwestern State University	33
St. Thomas Aquinas College	54		University of North Carolina - Pembroke	52
University of the District of Columbia	22		University of North Georgia	50
	337		Young Harris College	37
GAC				352
East Central University	42		PSAC
Henderson State University	45		Bloomsburg University	62
Northwestern Oklahoma State University	31		California University of Pennsylvania	81
Oklahoma Baptist University	1		Gannon University	144
Southern Arkansas University	43		Kutztown University	83
Southwestern Oklahoma State University	50		Mansfield University	35
	212		Mercyhurst University	106
			Seton Hill	143
GLIAC			Shippensburg University	67
Ashland University	100		Slippery Rock University	120
Ferris State University	93		West Chester (PA) University	134
Grand Valley State University	75			975
Michigan Technological University	81		RMAC
Purdue University Northwest	52		Black Hills State University	54
University of Wisconsin - Parkside	36		Chadron State College	50
Wayne State (MI) University	101		Colorado Christian University	59
	538		Colorado School of Mines	96
GLVC			Colorado State University - Pueblo	109
Bellarmine University	95		Dixie State University	77
Lewis University	83		MSU Denver	49
McKendree University	143		South Dakota Mines	46
Missouri University of Science and Technology	82		University of Colorado - Colorado Springs	92
Truman State University	104			632
University of Illinois - Springfield	60		SAC
University of Indianapolis	163		Anderson University	73
University of Southern Indiana	61		Carson-Newman	83
	791		Coker College	61
GMAC			Lenior-Rhyne University	123
Davis & Elkins College	69		Lincoln Memorial University	98
Hillsdale College	2		Queens University of Charlotte	149
Kentucky Wesleyan University	44		Tusculum University	81
Lake Erie College	47		Wingate University	92
Tiffin University	149			760
University of Findlay	211		SIAC
	522		Albany State University	27
GNAC			Central State University	18
Central Washington University	62		Fort Valley State University	2
Concordia (OR) University	66		Kentucky State University	33
Seattle Pacific University	69		Paine College	3
Simon Fraser University	27			83
University of Alaska Anchorage	35		SSC
Western Oregon University	59		Barry University	65
Western Washington University	44		Eckerd College	22
	362		Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University	59
Gulf South			Nova Southeastern University	79
Auburn University at Montgomery	49		Rollins College	138
Christian Brothers University	39		Saint Leo University	94
Mississippi College	65		University of Tampa	125
Union (TN) University	35			582
University of Montevallo	83
University of West Florida	57
University of West Georgia	62
	390
Heartland
Dallas Baptist University	74
Oklahoma Christian University	68
Rogers State University	50
St. Edward's University	76
Texas A&M International	37
	305
Lone Star
Cameron University	35
Texas A&M University - Commerce	58
Texas Women's University	29
UT Permian Basin	47
West Texas A&M University	56
	225
MIAA
Emporia State University	67
Fort Hays State University	83
Lincoln (MO) University	19
Lindenwood University	129
Missouri Southern State University	58
Missouri Western State University	66
Northeastern State University	34
Pittsburg State University	68
University of Central Missouri	113
University of Central Oklahoma	63
	700