Hard Work In Classroom Pays Off As Mercer Earns National Academic Award
Tom Myrick
11/25/2008 12:46:19 PM
MACON, Ga. - After hauling in a host of postseason awards for their performance on the field this season, Mercer is now getting recognition for their ability off the pitch as well. The Bears earned a NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) Team Academic Award for their work in the classroom, as the Orange and Black posted a 3.54 team GPA for the 2007-08 academic year.
Amazingly, this marks the seventh consecutive year, and the eighth time in the last nine years that the Bears have earned the NSCAA national academic award. Mercer also put 23 players on the Atlantic Sun Academic All-Conference last season.
“I am very proud of our student-athletes,” Mercer head coach Grant Serafy. “They have continued our very successful streak of being recognized with this academic award. It is a reflection of how hard they work off the field and in the classroom. Academic success is certainly a priority here at Mercer, and I couldn’t be happier that we continue to win this award.”
This season proved to be a landmark year for the Bears program, as the team went 11-5-4 on the season, tying the team record for wins in a season and winning its first-ever Atlantic Sun regular season championship with a 7-2-1 mark in conference play. The 2008 season also saw Serafy become the program’s all-time winningest coach, surpassing Ian Hayley’s nine-year old record of 38 wins with a 2-0 win over Campbell on October 25.