BGSU Women Win MAC FAR Award for Ninth Time In 14 Years

CLEVELAND, Ohio (BGSU Strategic Communications) – The Bowling Green State University women's athletics program has been named the winner of the 2020-21 Mid-American Conference Women's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) Academic Achievement Award. The Falcons have won the award for the ninth time in the 14 years since the inception of the award, as well as for the sixth time in the last eight seasons.

The FAR Awards are designed to recognize the conference institution with the overall highest-grade point average (GPA) and academic progress report (APR) combined by gender.

"Excelling in competition, in the classroom and in the community are critically important to the BGSU student-athlete experience," said Director of Athletics and Recreation Bob Moosbrugger. "Congratulations to our women student-athletes who have proven once again that they are up for the challenge and have taken home the MAC FAR academic award for sixth time in the last eight years! We are incredibly proud of their efforts in the classroom, in competition and in the community."

2020-21 BGSU ATHLETICS: A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

The conference FAR's worked with the Athletic Academic Advisors to develop an award that best represents the academic achievement of students in a competitive setting. Using the same ranking method as the long-time Reese and Jacoby trophies, traditionally awarded to the best overall male and female athletic programs in the MAC, the FAR Awards are given to those institutions' male and female programs with the highest overall GPA and APR combined within the conference. Only MAC-sponsored sports are used.

"Congratulations to our women's programs on earning the 2020-21 MAC Women's FAR Academic Achievement Award," said BGSU Senior Associate AD/SWA Stacy Kosciak. "Our women are tremendous examples of what it means to be a student-athlete. They continue to demonstrate their commitment to academic as well as competitive excellence. We are so proud of all of their success."

BGSU's female student-athletes had a combined GPA of 3.680 in the 2020-21 academic year. All of BGSU's women's teams had a cumulative GPA of 3.359 or better in '20-21, with eight women's programs boasting a cumulative GPA higher than 3.600.

Four BGSU women's teams – tennis (3.909), golf (3.853), swimming and diving (3.763) and volleyball (3.744) – carried the highest GPA of all MAC teams in their respective sport, while cross country (3.770) and soccer (3.766) each ranked second in the conference during the 2020-21 academic year.

The volleyball and women's soccer programs, both of which won MAC championships on the court/field, had the most Academic All-MAC Team honorees of any conference school in their respective sport, as did the women's cross-country team. The women's soccer, women's indoor track & field and softball teams all had the highest number of Academic All-MAC Team members in program history.

The swimming/diving Falcons had the fifth-highest GPA in the nation in the Spring 2021 semester, according to the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.

"We are so proud of our women student-athletes for earning the 2020-21 MAC Women's FAR Academic Achievement Award!" said BGSU's Faculty Athletics Representatives, Dr. Ray Schneider and Dr. Donna Trautman. "This honor is an exemplary recognition of the time, effort and commitment our teams invest in their academic pursuits."

In addition to the aforementioned success in the classroom, BGSU was just as successful on the fields and courts of play last season. Three women's teams won a total of five MAC championships, while numerous individuals captured conference crowns as well.

The women's basketball team, picked to finish 11th of 12 teams in the MAC's preseason poll, won the regular-season championship and advanced to the Postseason WNIT. BGSU received the league's Coach (Robyn Fralick) and Freshman of the Year (Lexi Fleming) honors.

The women's soccer team, after winning regular-season and tournament titles in both 2018 and '19, captured the league crown again in 2020-21 and returned to the NCAA Championships for a third-straight season.

The volleyball Falcons won the MAC regular-season and tournament titles, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. The team broke the athletics department record with an 18-0 start and finished the season with an RPI rating of 18th, and Daniela Tomic earned MAC and regional coach-of-the-year honors.

Freshman Kailee Perry won the MAC women's cross country individual championship and competed in the NCAA Championships. She was the first BGSU representative at that meet in 23 years. Swimmer Daisy Platts won MAC Championships in both the 100 backstroke (for the third time in as many years at BG) and 200 backstroke (for the second-straight season). She advanced to the NCAA Championships and placed in the top 25 nationally in both events. Another swimming standout, Lauren Sullivan, was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

Savannah Nevels won the 200 and Iyanna Ross won the 400 at the MAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, and the Falcons swept the MAC titles in the relays (1600 and distance medley). In the outdoor season, the Falcons posted the highest point total in 22 years at the MAC Championships. The 1600 relay team again won the MAC title, as BGSU won three of the four relay MAC Championships between indoor and outdoor track and field, and Brianna Richards, seeded sixth in the triple jump, proceeded to win the MAC Championship in that event. Seven Falcons advanced to the NCAA East Region Preliminary Round, with Kaila Butler representing BGSU at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships and being named a second-team All-American in the hammer throw for the second time in her career.

The softball team finished with the program's highest winning percentage in MAC play since 2012 and the most overall wins since 2013. Redshirt freshman pitcher Payton Gottshall shattered the BGSU single-season strikeouts records and was one of two Falcons named to the All-MAC First Team. The other all-league honoree, Madi McCoy, was BGSU's first player named to the all-region team since 2011.

The BGSU tennis team finished third in the MAC with a league record of 9-5, posting BGSU's best conference finish since the 2012-13 Falcons tied for second.

BGSU finished second in the Jacoby Trophy standings, marking the school's highest finish since 2007.

MAC WOMEN'S FAR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS
2020-21 -- Bowling Green State University
2019-20 -- Kent State University
2018-19 -- Bowling Green State University
2017-18 -- University of Toledo
2016-17 -- Bowling Green State University
2015-16 -- Bowling Green State University
2014-15 -- Bowling Green State University
2013-14 -- Bowling Green State University
2012-13 -- Central Michigan University
2011-12 -- Bowling Green State University
2010-11 -- Central Michigan University
2009-10 -- Bowling Green State University
2008-09 -- Bowling Green State University
2007-08 -- Central Michigan University

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Kaila Butler

Lexi Fleming

Payton Gottshall

Madi McCoy

Savannah Nevels

Kailee Perry

Daisy Platts

Brianna Richard

Iyanna Ross

Lauren Sullivan

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Bowling Green State University Athletics