Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Liberty's men's and women's triathlon team posted the highest combined cumulative GPA with a 3.63 average.
Club Sports student-athletes reach high mark with 3.37 cumulative grade-point average
1/10/2025 9:26:00 PM | General
Of the 726 student-athletes on Liberty's 44 Club Sports teams, nearly half made the Dean's List and 124 maintained perfect 4.0 GPAs.
Liberty University's Club Sports department set a new standard for excellence in the academic realm in the fall semester, with its 726 student-athletes from 44 distinct teams recording a cumulative grade-point average of 3.37.
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All but two teams achieved a 3.0 grade-point average or better and a record 375 student-athletes were recognized on the Dean's List for maintaining GPAs of 3.5 or higher. Additionally, there were 154 who achieved perfect 4.0 GPAs.
"With over half of our student-athletes on the Dean's List this semester, it speaks to the high priority they have in their academics and their ability to do well both in the classroom and within their respective sport," Club Sports Associate Athletic Director of Academic Advancement Sarah Kelly said.
Liberty's men's and women's triathlon team ranked first with a combined GPA of 3.63 followed closely by the men's and women's climbing teams (3.62), with the figure skating team ranking third at 3.58.
The cumulative GPA was slightly better than the previous high mark of 3.36 set in Spring 2023. In the 2023-24 school year, Club Sports student-athletes achieved cumulative averages of 3.34 in Fall 2023 and 3.35 in Spring 2024.
"I'm very impressed with the efforts my team made to connect with student-athletes and help them improve their academics through the semester," Kelly said. "I'm also very proud of our student-athletes who manage their time well and work to balance a busy schedule of school and sport while achieving such high results."
"The milestones we've reached are a testament to the caliber of students that choose Liberty University, as well as the dedication of our coaches who recruit and motivate these athletes to join our Club Sports programs," Club Sports Director of Academic Compliance Heath Grishaw added.
"We're excited for what's to come and look forward to breaking even more records alongside this incredible academic department."
Club Sports Assistant Director of Academic Advancement Donna Holland said the student-athletes themselves deserve most of the credit for taking the initiative to seek the help they need, and to make the effort to manage time and balance academic and athletic loads.
"It is a huge blessing partnering with our student-athletes, coming alongside them and providing resources to see many who have struggled over the semesters overcome and succeed," Holland said. "We rejoice with those who are able to work hard, apply themselves, take their academics seriously, and contribute to a record-breaking GPA."
Grishaw noted that the Club Sports Academics team has grown in recent years, and now includes seven full-time staff, including a professional advisor (Chris Webb), academic mentoring specialist (Allison Salehi), and two assistants.
"This academic team thrives on breaking records and pushing the limits of what's been achieved," Grishaw said. "We're driven by a passion for seeing our student-athletes succeed not just in competition, but in the classroom as well. Our work isn't about personal recognition or praise from our supervisors; it's about inspiring these young men and women to exceed expectations and realize their potential."
Academic Assistant Dylan Coombs and Academic Compliance Assistant Wade Lawrence both pointed to relationships between staff and student-athletes as critical factors in their academic success.
"Intentional relationships generate intentional results," Lawrence said. "It is no surprise that the hard work of our academic team to build authentic relationships with our Club Sports student-athletes has been displayed through their ascent to new academic heights."
"It has been a privilege to watch our students set goals, face challenges, and work hard to overcome those challenges and pursue excellence," Coombs added. "I am so proud to see their hard work pay off as they set new records and reach new academic heights, and I look forward to their continued success."
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"With over half of our student-athletes on the Dean's List this semester, it speaks to the high priority they have in their academics and their ability to do well both in the classroom and within their respective sport," Club Sports Associate Athletic Director of Academic Advancement Sarah Kelly said.
Liberty's men's and women's triathlon team ranked first with a combined GPA of 3.63 followed closely by the men's and women's climbing teams (3.62), with the figure skating team ranking third at 3.58.
The cumulative GPA was slightly better than the previous high mark of 3.36 set in Spring 2023. In the 2023-24 school year, Club Sports student-athletes achieved cumulative averages of 3.34 in Fall 2023 and 3.35 in Spring 2024.
"I'm very impressed with the efforts my team made to connect with student-athletes and help them improve their academics through the semester," Kelly said. "I'm also very proud of our student-athletes who manage their time well and work to balance a busy schedule of school and sport while achieving such high results."
"The milestones we've reached are a testament to the caliber of students that choose Liberty University, as well as the dedication of our coaches who recruit and motivate these athletes to join our Club Sports programs," Club Sports Director of Academic Compliance Heath Grishaw added.
"We're excited for what's to come and look forward to breaking even more records alongside this incredible academic department."
Club Sports Assistant Director of Academic Advancement Donna Holland said the student-athletes themselves deserve most of the credit for taking the initiative to seek the help they need, and to make the effort to manage time and balance academic and athletic loads.
"It is a huge blessing partnering with our student-athletes, coming alongside them and providing resources to see many who have struggled over the semesters overcome and succeed," Holland said. "We rejoice with those who are able to work hard, apply themselves, take their academics seriously, and contribute to a record-breaking GPA."
Grishaw noted that the Club Sports Academics team has grown in recent years, and now includes seven full-time staff, including a professional advisor (Chris Webb), academic mentoring specialist (Allison Salehi), and two assistants.
"This academic team thrives on breaking records and pushing the limits of what's been achieved," Grishaw said. "We're driven by a passion for seeing our student-athletes succeed not just in competition, but in the classroom as well. Our work isn't about personal recognition or praise from our supervisors; it's about inspiring these young men and women to exceed expectations and realize their potential."
Academic Assistant Dylan Coombs and Academic Compliance Assistant Wade Lawrence both pointed to relationships between staff and student-athletes as critical factors in their academic success.
"Intentional relationships generate intentional results," Lawrence said. "It is no surprise that the hard work of our academic team to build authentic relationships with our Club Sports student-athletes has been displayed through their ascent to new academic heights."
"It has been a privilege to watch our students set goals, face challenges, and work hard to overcome those challenges and pursue excellence," Coombs added. "I am so proud to see their hard work pay off as they set new records and reach new academic heights, and I look forward to their continued success."
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