(LEBANON, Ill., June 18)—The hard work put forth in the classroom by the McKendree University athletic teams during the 2012-13 academic year was confirmed on Tuesday by the Great Lakes Valley Conference office in Indianapolis.

McKendree placed nine teams on the 2012-13 Team Academic All-GLVC Award list. Of those nine squads, the Bearcat men's and women's tennis programs each registered the highest team grade-point average during the 2012-13 academic year among all teams throughout the entire conference. Each McKendree tennis team had a collective 3.77 team GPA for the fall and spring semesters.

In addition to the men's and women's tennis teams, McKendree was represented on the Team Academic All-GLVC Award list by volleyball (3.55 GPA), women's basketball (3.50), women's golf (3.48), softball (3.33), women's track and field (3.31), women's soccer (3.31) and men's golf (3.30). The 2012-13 academic year marked McKendree's first year of participation in the GLVC.

"This honor truly reinforces the fact that the athletes we have here at McKendree are students first," said Chuck Brueggemann, director of athletics at McKendree. "What an honor it is for the University to have the two teams with the top overall grade-point average in the GLVC for the past year. Not only have our tennis teams excelled in the classroom, but they were exceptional on the court as well. This great honor is evidence of how our institution and student-athletes have set their priorities."

The GLVC recognizes each team from member institutions that have maintained a 3.30 GPA for the academic year. For 2012-13, the GLVC boasted a record 100 teams that earned the honor.

Among the 16 GLVC members, McKendree tied for third in the number of teams represented on the Academic All-GLVC Award list. Maryville University and Rockhurst University tied for the top spot with 10 total teams on the list. McKendree was matched by Drury University and Lewis University with nine squads that earned the honor.

On Monday, a total of 159 McKendree student-athletes were named to the Academic All-GLVC squad for 2012-13.