MALIBU, Calif. — The numbers are in and Pepperdine Athletics teams performed remarkably in the classroom during the fall 2018 season, posting a 3.22 departmental grade-point average.

Along with an impressive GPA for the fall of 2018, 14 student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, while 70% earned a GPA of 3.0 or greater and 34% earned a GPA of 3.5 or better.  15 teams were also successful in reaching a grade-point average of better than 3.0.

Pepperdine's women's cross country and track team took the top spot with a 3.53 grade-point average and 63% of the 48 team members earning a 3.50 GPA or higher. Beach volleyball and swim and dive followed with 3.40 GPAs, along with 47% of 19 and 48% of 45 student-athletes, respectively, reaching above the 3.50 GPA mark.  Other teams that finished above a 3.0 included women's tennis (3.37), men's cross country and track (3.37), women's soccer (3.37), men's golf (3.32), women's volleyball (3.27), men's tennis (3.21), men's volleyball (3.12), baseball (3.11), women's golf (3.07) and women's basketball (3.0).

NCAA Graduation Success
The NCAA released Graduation Success Rates in November, and the Pepperdine Athletics Department continued with strong numbers as in past years.  The Waves boasted an overall GSR of 90%, up from last year's 89% and a bit better than the national average of 87% (a figure that tied the national record).  The newest GSR data covers student-athletes that enrolled between 2008 and 2011. 

Five of the Waves' programs have now had 100% GSR rates for multiple years: men's golf, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's volleyball and women's volleyball.  Pepperdine's 90% ranks tied for fourth out of California's 24 Division I universities. 

Women's Volleyball
Hannah Frohling was honored with a Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 second team nod.  Four Waves garnered WCC All-Academic accolades, with Frohling earning first team honors and Heidi Dyer, Alli O'Harra and Jaiden Farr picking up honorable mention status. 

Women's Soccer
Brielle Preece and Brie Welch garnered WCC All-Academic honors, with Preece tabbing a first team nod and Welch earning honorable mention status.

Water Polo
Four Waves earned GCC All-Academic honors with Michael Dakis, Curtis Jarvis, Mate Toth and Jacob Watson achieving the feat.

Men's and Women's Cross Country
Nick Heath (men's) and Tatum Rask (women's) garnered WCC All-Academic first team honors this season.  In addition, Izabela Garcia-Arce, Cori Persinger, Caroline Archer and Lindsay Sanger of the women's squad, and Adam Fahey, Alex Egan and Preston Gromer for the men, garnered honorable mention status.

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