FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks student-athletes never leave any doubt of their capabilities on the fields and courts of competition, but an even greater tradition has again reached a new milestone. Once more, the Sharks have set a new academic standard, earning a 3.27 semester departmental Grade Point Average to achieve the highest Fall semester on record – extending the streak to 19 consecutive semesters with a departmental 3.0 GPA or better.
 
A first for the Nova Southeastern program, every single one of the Sharks' 17 NCAA Division II intercollegiate teams delivered a GPA of 3.0 or higher, with a steady 73 percent of Sharks student-athletes individually exceeding the 3.0 threshold. In addition, 59 percent achieved a 3.25 or better, 22 percent hit 3.80 or better and 23 Sharks produced a perfect 4.0 in the fall semester. All of these academic achievements come together for the highest Fall semester departmental GPA on record.
 
"Our Shark student-athletes continue to raise the bar with their performance in the classroom," Senior Woman Administrator and Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Services and Student-Athlete Support Rachel Fineberg said. "To reach a departmental GPA of 3.27 is a testament to the culture of success that we take pride in here at NSU.  I am incredibly proud of our student-athletes!"
 
For the fourth consecutive semester, men's soccer topped the Sharks men's programs, garnering a 3.39 for the program's highest Fall semester to date. Pacing the women's sports, volleyball achieved a 3.59 while also producing the most wins since 2008. Volleyball (94 percent) also joined women's golf (100 percent), women's swimming and women's basketball (92 percent) as programs at NSU with greater than 90 percent of their roster garnering a 3.0 GPA or greater.
 
Beyond volleyball's leadership among Fall women's programs, women's swimming was a close second with a 3.55 and its highest team GPA to date. Women's golf was also in hot pursuit at 3.51. Women's basketball followed at 3.48, ahead of women's tennis (3.35), women's soccer (3.22), women's rowing (3.19), women's track and field/cross country (3.10) and softball (3.04).
 
For the men's program, beyond soccer's new program best, the men's golf team earned its highest team GPA to date at 3.30, men's swimming notched its best Fall semester GPA at 3.26 and the men's basketball team earned a 3.18 for the team's best semester GPA on record. In addition, men's track and field/cross country made its best Fall semester at 3.15 and baseball earned a 3.07 in the Fall.
 
This record-setting Fall marks the seventh consecutive semester that NSU student-athletes have collectively exceeded a 3.20, with the Sharks aiming for a fourth consecutive year meeting that standard during the upcoming Winter semester.
 
The Fall success also maintains a 19-semester streak in excess of a 3.0 departmental GPA, as the Sharks have also maintained that annual standard for 17 consecutive years, dating back to 2002-03 – the first year of NCAA competition.
 
The drive for the Sharks' gold standard academic performance continues into the Winter semester, set to begin at Nova Southeastern on Monday, January 6, 2020.