SOMERSET, N.J. -- Faced with a most unusual year, Northeast Conference (NEC) student-athletes didn't miss a beat in the classroom.
 
LIU finished third in the NEC's annual Institutional Academic award standings. The Sharks' overall GPA of 3.440 was just edged by SFU (3.482) and Merrimack (3.464) for the top two spots.
 
Overall, the NEC's 5,000+ student-athletes combined for a 3.377 GPA, a figure that ranks second in league history. The high-water mark was established in 2019-20 with a 3.404 combined GPA.
 
Remarkably, 98.2 percent of NEC women's teams (112-of-114) posted at least a 3.0 GPA and 90.2 percent of all conference teams (184-of-204) cracked the 3.0 mark.
 
"NEC student-athletes continue to rise to the challenge in all facets of student-life and what they were able to accomplish in their studies this past year in the face of so many obstacles was awe-inspiring," said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "T high academic achievement we saw around the conference this past year was only possible due to the teamwork and tireless support from coaches, administrators, faculty and Presidents who were so invested in the success of their student-athletes."
 
The NEC also recognized those teams that compiled the highest GPA in their respective sports. LIU claimed an NEC-best six Team GPA awards, while Merrimack pocketed five and Wagner collected three honors.
 
The LIU teams honored were the football team (3.260), the men's swimming team (3.40), women's cross country (3.650), women's lacrosse (3.690), women's swimming (3.690) and volleyball (3.685).
 
The Institutional Academic Award is presented annually to the NEC member who attains the highest overall institutional grade-point average amongst student-athletes competing in sports sponsored by the NCAA Division I conference.  The NEC currently sponsors 24 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis and women's volleyball.