Yotes Set NAIA Standard for 'Scholar' Teams
CALDWELL, Idaho -- A record-setting 2008-09 season got even better for The College of Idaho, as all 19 Coyote teams competing within the NAIA were honored today as NAIA Scholar Teams, announced by the national office in Kansas City, Mo.
Each of the Yote teams maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher - with the 19 teams the most awarded to any single school in the entire NAIA, a new national record.
Six different C of I teams placed in the NAIA's Top-5 in their sport - with volleyball, women's swimming, women's indoor track, and men's swimming all placing second, men's golf third, and women's outdoor track fourth nationally. Other Coyote teams to place in the Top-10 in academics were women's cross country in seventh, men's indoor track in eighth, and baseball in tenth.
A total of 65 different teams from the Cascade Conference earned the distinction - as Northwest Christian and Concordia were the next in line behind the Yotes with nine teams each. Oregon Tech had eight, Corban seven, Eastern Oregon six, Southern Oregon five, and Northwest two. C of I teams had the highest GPA in six of the 13 sports offered by the league.
This year, the Coyotes boasted a record 46 national scholar-athletes and a league-record 75 Academic All-CCC award winners.
C of I Team GPA's - Volleyball 3.65, Women's Indoor Track 3.61, Women's Outdoor Track 3.61, Women's Cross Country 3.61, Men's Golf 3.53, Women's Golf 3.41, Women's Swimming 3.34, Women's Soccer 3.30, Women's Basketball 3.29, Women's Tennis 3.29, Men's Tennis 3.24, Men's Cross Country 3.22, Men's Indoor Track 3.22, Men's Outdoor Track 3.18, Men's Swimming 3.18, Men's Soccer 3.15, Softball 3.14, Men's Basketball 3.10, Baseball 3.06.