CHICAGO -- UIC's 336 student-athletes posted the department's highest grade-point average ever in the recently concluded spring 2018 semester, a mark of 3.17. The group of Flames matched the previous record, 3.15, during fall 2017, so the overall UIC GPA for the 2017-18 academic year is 3.16.

This spring head coach Mat Blair's women's golf team posted the top GPA among all of UIC's 18 counted teams at 3.64. Head coach Hans Neufeld's men's tennis squad was just behind at 3.63, while women's tennis, led by head coach Shannon Tully, checked in third at 3.58. Overall, 13 teams achieved a GPA of 3.0 or better and nine groups of Flames had a mark of at least 3.2 during the spring.

In spring 2018, 51 student-athletes achieved a perfect mark of 4.0, an increase of four from fall 2017. The women's gymnastics team had six student-athletes with a 4.0 this spring to lead the department. Men's swimming and diving, men's tennis and women's soccer had five each, while baseball, softball and men's soccer each had four student-athletes with a 4.0 this past spring. Further, a group of 101 Flames fell between 3.5-4.0 and 193 came in between 3.0-4.0 during spring 2018.

"As a department, and a University, we are so proud of the achievement of our student-athletes in the classroom," said UIC Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy. "Under the direction of Chancellor Amiridis, UIC is one of the top institutions in the country and continually on the rise. Success here takes a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication to getting better every day. These Flames are among the best and brightest at this school and we are honored by the example that they set.

"Our student-athletes are supported by great staff in our Port Academic Center, as well as professors, advisors and other academic professionals throughout our campus," said Klassy. "I'm thankful for that unwavering assistance that helps us achieve our academic goals as a department."

Earlier this month, the NCAA released the four-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) for 2016-17. As a group, the Flames picked up four points from a year ago for an overall APR score of 982. It is the second consecutive year that UIC has added four points to its previous mark. Four teams, the most in program history, received a perfect APR score of 1,000. That group included women's gymnastics, softball, women's cross country and women's track and field, which each received an NCAA Public Recognition Award for finishing in the top 10 percent of their respective sports.