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Academic Success
COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
Junior setter Whitney Brown of the volleyball program was named to the 2019 Academic All-America® Second Team according to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), while senior forward Jaycee Gebhard of the women’s hockey team was named to the 2019-20 CoSIDA Academic All-America® At-Large Second Team.
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Brown has maintained a 3.99 cumulative GPA as a biology major and became the second RMU volleyball studentathlete to earn Academic All-America honors. She is also the first junior female student-athlete to garner the academic accolade.
Gebhard graduated from RMU with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in May of 2020 with a cumulative GPA of 3.94 and is the first women’s hockey student-athlete in school history to garner Academic AllAmerica accolades.
Brown and Gebhard become the third and fourth female student-athletes, respectively, in athletic department history to be named an Academic All-American by CoSIDA, joining former volleyball student-athlete Amanda Graham (2010) and softball standout Annie Dubovec (2011).
RMU COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® FIRST TEAM Name Sport Year Annie Dubovec Softball 2011 Nick Faraci Football 2015 Ray Gensler Football 2006 Jonathan LeDonne Football 2004 Nolan Nearhoof Football 2012 Adam Wollet Football 2018
COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® SECOND TEAM
Name Sport Year
Brad Banas Football 2012 Whitney Brown Volleyball 2019 Nick Faraci Football 2014 Jaycee Gebhard * Ice Hockey 2020 Ray Gensler Football 2005 Amanda Graham Volleyball 2010 Christian Lemke Track & Field 2004 Nolan Nearhoof Football 2010, 2011 Adam Wollet Football 2017
COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® THIRD TEAM Name Sport Year Zac Lynch * Ice Hockey 2014
* At-large selection
WHITNEY BROWN
JAYCEE GEBHARD
ALEX MINFORD
NNEKA EZEIGBO
LEXI TEMPLEMAN
CONNOR MUNDY
SEAN GILES
COURTNEY KOLLMAN
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
As a department, Robert Morris posted a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.476 among its 16 Division I programs in 2019-20, with a total of 15 of RMU’s 16 programs finishing with team GPA’s of 3.00 or higher.
The RMU volleyball and women’s basketball programs claimed Northeast Conference (NEC) Team GPA awards for posting the highest team GPA in the league during the 2019-20 academic year. Volleyball posted a 3.894 team GPA during the 2019-20 academic year, the highest team GPA among all athletic programs in the NEC. Women’s basketball recorded a team GPA of 3.767 in 2019-20 to claim its fourth consecutive NEC Team GPA Award honor.
With its team GPA of 3.767, the RMU women’s basketball program earned the No. 3 ranking in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25 Division I Honor Roll for the second season in a row. The Colonials are the only Division I team and one of two teams overall to claim a top-four ranking in four consecutive years, coming in at No. 3 in 2018-19, No. 4 in 2017-18, and No. 2 in 2016-17.
Overall, nearly 70 percent of all of RMU’s 420+ student-athletes posted a 3.00 or higher grade point average in 2019-20.
Whitney Brown and Jaycee Gebhard were also named to the CoSIDA Academic AllDistrict II Team, and the pair were joined by Alex Minford and Conner Mundy from football, Sean Giles of men’s hockey and Lexi Templeman from women’s hockey.
The 2019-20 academic year featured 84 Robert Morris student-athletes that were named to the 2019 NEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, 35 to the 2020 NEC Winter Academic Honor Roll and 88 to the 2020 NEC Spring Academic Honor Roll. To be eligible, a student-athlete must own a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.
Robert Morris placed 35 student-athletes on the 2019 NEC Fall Commissioner’s Honor Roll, 18 to the 2020 NEC Winter Commissioner’s Honor Roll and 33 to the 2020 NEC Spring Commissioner’s Honor Roll. To be eligible, a student-athlete must own a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or better.
A pair of RMU student-athletes were named the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in their respective sports, as Whitney Brown earned the honor for volleyball and Nneka Ezeigbo garnered the award for women’s basketball.
Robert Morris led College Hockey America (CHA) with four 2020 CHA Student-Athlete of the Year recipients, including Lexi Templeman, Courtney Kollman, Emilie Harley and Joelle Fiala. Each of the four student-athletes posted perfect 4.00 GPAs during the 2019-20 academic year.
The RMU women’s hockey team featured a league-high 22 student-athletes named to the 2020 CHA All-Academic Team. To qualify for the honor, a student-athlete must point a 3.00 GPA or higher in the academic semester they are competing.
The Robert Morris men’s hockey squad featured 24 student-athletes tabbed to 2020 Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team. To qualify for the honor, a student-athlete must post a 3.00 GPA in the academic semesters they are competing.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) named a league-high 22 student-athletes from Robert Morris to its 2020 Rowing All-Academic Team. To be eligible, a student-athlete must have completed at least two semesters and hold a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.
A total of 15 student-athletes from the RMU rowing team were named 2020 scholar-athletes by the College Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA). To be considered, a student-athlete must be in their second, third or fourth year of eligibility, must be ranked in the top 50 percent of their team at the conclusion of the 2020 semester and must own a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.
The Robert Morris women’s basketball and track & field teams were bestowed with NCAA Public Recognition Awards for finishing in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports based on Academic Progress Rate (APR) data. This is the first time women’s basketball has received this honor, while it’s the second consecutive for the women’s track & field team.
The RMU rowing team had a 31 student-athletes named to the 2020 MAAC Honor Roll. To be eligible, a student-athlete must own a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher. Freshmen are eligible for the accolade, and the honor roll is unlike the MAAC Rowing All-Academic Teams announced earlier in the year.
For the first time in program history, the Robert Morris golf program had three student-athletes named Srixon / Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). Seniors Max Palmer and Kyle Grube as well as sophomore Chase Miller were each bestowed the honor. To be eligible, an individual must by a sophomore, junior or senior academically, have a stroke average under 76.0 and main a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.
The men’s golf program also received the GCAA Outstanding Team Academic Award and President’s Special Recognition for achieving a 3.5 grade point average or higher. This is the eighth straight season that it received the Outstanding Team Academic Award for posting a 3.0 GPA or better, and the fourth straight campaign collecting President’s Special Recognition.
Seniors Austin Popovich and Ryan Smith of the RMU men’s lacrosse team were honored by being named 2020 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Warrior and New Balance NCAA Division I Scholar All-Americans. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be in senior academic standing and own a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
RMU 2019-20 ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS
COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
Name Sport
Whitney Brown Volleyball Jaycee Gebhard * Ice Hockey
COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT II Name Sport Whitney Brown Volleyball Alex Minford Football Conner Mundy Football Jaycee Gebhard * Ice Hockey Sean Giles * Ice Hockey Lexi Templeman * Ice Hockey
NEC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Name Sport Whitney Brown Volleyball Nneka Ezeigbo Women’s Basketball
NNEKA EZEIGBO
LEXI TEMPLEMAN
CHA STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Name Sport Joelle Fiala Women’s Hockey Emilie Harley Women’s Hockey Courtney Kollman Women’s Hockey Lexi Templeman Women’s Hockey
AUSTIN POPOVICH CHASE MILLER
