Caylie Teel and the Grace volleyball team earned a 3.53 GPA this past season, helping the athletic department earn one of the top total GPAs in the country. (File photo by Mike Deak)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the third year in a row, all of Grace’s teams hit their academic mark.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) named every Lancer team as a Scholar-Team.

To achieve Scholar-Team status, a team must own a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher. The athletic department had an overall average GPA of 3.40, just off the school record of 3.43 set last year.

Based on GPA, Grace had five teams finish first or second in the Crossroads League in their respective sport. Additionally, eight teams ranked in the top 25 in the NAIA for their sport.

The women’s cross country team owned the best GPA on campus with a 3.67, 15th-best in their sport.

Women’s tennis (3.58), volleyball (3.53) and women’s soccer (3.52) all topped the 3.50 mark as a team. The volleyball team finished as the runner-up in the league.

On the men’s side, the Lancers’ basketball team impressed. Grace posted a 3.43 GPA, ranking third in the NAIA and tops in the league.

The men’s cross country team was another conference champion in the classroom; the squad’s 3.41 GPA was the highest mark in the Crossroads League.

The men’s soccer team had the 12th-best GPA in their sport (3.33), and the men’s indoor track and field unit ranked No. 4 in GPA (3.29).

“The academic excellence that our athletic programs achieve can be credited to the commitment and dedication of our coaches and student-athletes,” said Grace Athletic Director Chad Briscoe. “Our programs strive for Christian excellence in all areas, which includes both the academic and athletic realms. The Scholar-Team distinction for our programs is a tremendous reflection on Grace College. Our faculty play an integral role in the academic and spiritual growth of our student-athletes, and we are incredibly thankful for their work.”

Additional Scholar-Teams for Grace include: women’s basketball (3.43), women’s track and field (3.40), men’s tennis (3.36), men’s golf (3.35), softball (3.33) women’s golf (3.23) and baseball (3.08).