ORONO, Maine — The University of Maine Black Bears have been leading the America East Conference—in the classroom, that is.
With 258 student-athletes being named to the honor roll, it accounts for 84 percent of all student-athletes at the university in Orono. Of those 258 students, 190 of them earned a 3.50 grade point average or higher, making them members of the Commissioner's Honor Roll.
"Academics in the classroom is one of our pillars of our program," UMaine women’s basketball Head Coach Amy Vachon said.
This past season, the team she led ranked fifth in the nation for GPA, with a 3.76 average. Vachon noted the immediate effect that classroom intelligence has on the court.
"The offense that we run is pretty difficult, so it’s nice when you put something in and they get it right away," Vachon said.
The university offers an Academic Center for its student-athletes, and it's credited for a lot of their classroom success.
"A lot of athletes come here. We have tutors and mentors to help out," Anna Kahelin, a student-athlete on the women's basketball team, said.
At the helm of the university’s Academic Center is Director of Academic Support for Student-Athletes Ann Maxim.
"Together, we support the student whose goal is to be a student and an athlete and to graduate from here," Maxim said.
The Black Bears are looking forward to an upcoming school year of success, both on the field and in the classroom.