Loretto, PA -- With the spring 2012 term officially in the books, Saint Francis University student-athletes have stretched their string of semesters with a GPA of 3.0-or-higher to 27 – a run spanning 13-and-a-half years.

The Red Flash posted a collective 3.215 grade-point-average, marking a new department record and an increase of .051 over the fall term.

“I am so proud of all that our student-athletes have accomplished over this past semester in the community, in their respective sports and in the classroom,” said Assistant Director of Athletics for Academic Services John Krimmel. “Twenty-seven consecutive semesters is a testament to the hard work that they put into their studies each day. It is also a testament to the great faculty, staff and administration we have at the university.”

The women's volleyball squad led SFU's 22 teams and spirit groups with an impressive 3.641 GPA. Women's cross country came in second with a combined mark of 3.578, while their men's counterpart came in third, with a 3.527 GPA.

The Northeast Conference Champion swimming team earned a 3.497 and the field hockey squad rounded out the top five with a 3.484.

“At the beginning of the academic year we challenged our student-athletes to 'Dare to be UNcommon' (Inspired by the Tony Dungy book) and their continuing of this tradition of consecutive semesters above a 3.0 is without a doubt an uncommon feat in this day and age,” said Krimmel.