July 7, 2009

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Three of Notre Dame’s 21 sports that compete in BIG EAST sports were honored with the 2008-09 BIG EAST Team Excellence Awards recognizing the highest collective grade-point averages in each conference sport. The Fighting Irish men’s basketball, men’s swimming and diving and women’s tennis teams were all recipients of the second annual awards.

Ten BIG EAST schools had at least one team honored as DePaul finished with a conference-best seven teams recognized. Notre Dame, Seton Hall and Syracuse had three teams honored, while Cincinnati and St. John’s each had two, and Georgetown, Louisville, USF and West Virginia each had one.

In addition to having the highest grade point average, the Irish women’s tennis and men’s swimming and diving teams each won BIG EAST championships — two of the eight conference crowns that were captured by Notre Dame teams this season.

Both men’s basketball and women’s tennis earned the honor for the second consecutive year. Nineteen of Notre Dame’s 21 BIG EAST teams earned a better than 3.00 cumulative grade-point average during the ’08-’09 academic year.

The Irish women’s tennis team (which shared the honor with DePaul) bested all Notre Dame teams with a 3.537, while the men’s swimming and diving team finished with a 3.272 and the men’s basketball team with a 3.165 grade index.

2008-09 BIG EAST Team Excellence Award WinnersSport                           SchoolBaseball                        USFMen's Basketball                Notre DameWomen's Basketball              DePaulMen's Cross Country             DePaulWomen's Cross Country           DePaulField Hockey                    LouisvilleFootball                        West VirginiaMen's Golf                      Seton HallWomen's Golf                    St. John'sWomen's Lacrosse                CincinnatiWomen's Rowing                  GeorgetownMen's Soccer                    DePaulWomen's Soccer                  Seton HallSoftball                        Seton HallMen's Swimming & Diving         Notre DameWomen's Swimming & Diving       CincinnatiMen's Tennis                    St. John'sWomen's Tennis                  DePaul and Notre DameMen's Indoor Track & Field      DePaulWomen's Indoor Track & Field    SyracuseMen's Outdoor Track & Field     DePaulWomen's Outdoor Track & Field   SyracuseWomen's Volleyball              Syracuse

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