UNH student-athletes are at the top of their academic game

By Lori Wright, Media Relations

UNH student-athletes are the most successful academically in the America East Conference, ranking No. 1 with the largest number of student-athletes on the conference’s fall Academic Honor Roll.

“The dedication to the rigors of academic study as well as the enormous commitment to athletic sports demonstrates the quality and caliber of our student-athletes at UNH. We are proud to have them on our team, in the classroom and in intercollegiate competition,” UNH President Ann Weaver Hart said.

Eighty-five Wildcat students were named to the Academic Honor Roll, earning a grade point average of at least 3.0.
In total, 542 student-athletes were named to the honor roll from 11 institutions: UNH, University at Albany, Binghamton University, Boston University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Northeastern University, Stony Brook University and the University of Vermont.
In addition, more UNH student-athletes were named to the conference’s prestigious Commissioner’s Honor Roll than any other institution in the conference.

Forty-three of the 247 student-athletes named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes with a grade point average of at least 3.5, were UNH students.

When broken down by sport, the women’s cross country, women’s soccer and men’s cross country teams outdid their peers academically at all other conference institutions. The women’s cross country team boasts 24 honor roll athletes, with 18 women’s soccer players and 14 men’s cross country athletes on the list.

“The University of New Hampshire should take great pride in having 85 of its fall student-athletes named to the America East Academic Honor Roll,” said Chris Monasch, commissioner of America East. “This success demonstrates the commitment to academics by New Hampshire’s student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Wildcat fans should be tremendously proud not only of their teams’ accomplishments in the athletic arena but in the academic sector as well.”

Three of the 85 UNH honor roll students have earned a 4.0 grade point average. They are Mark Gosztyla, a senior from Londonderry and member of the men’s cross country team; Robert Zolla, a sophomore from Londonderry and member of the men’s cross country team; and Lesley Read, senior from Dover and member of the women’s cross country team.

Read, 23, who is majoring in English, said she does better in school when she is involved with athletics because it requires her to better manage her time.

“Because I am involved in athletics, I have to make time for academics because I just don’t have a lot of time. I can’t procrastinate or put off doing a paper,” Read said.

“Working toward your goals on the track is very similar to working toward your goals academically. They go hand in hand,” she said.

She gets reinforcement from her coach, who tells the athletes that academics come before athletics. If Read or any of her teammates are under pressure because of an upcoming exam or term paper, her coach schedules workouts around the time she needs to study.

“UNH has had a fine record of academic achievement in America East and combined with the recent athletic success as exhibited this fall, the university is well served by its student-athletes. These achievements are a real tribute to not only the students but the coaches, staff and academic support personnel,” said Marty Scarano, UNH director of athletics.