(Peru, Neb.) – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced over 2,000 teams have earned the distinction for Scholar Teams for the 2020-21 academic year.
 
For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar-Team award, it must have a minimum 3.0-grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) as defined by the institution. The team grade point average includes all eligible varsity student-athletes.
 
Peru State College had ten out of its 13 varsity sports be named to the scholar teams. For the second year in a row all the women's sports team were named to the list. The men's basketball team is making it for the second straight year.
 
The Bobcat women's golf team had the highest cumulative GPA for Peru State team for the sixth straight year in a row. The golfers had a GPA of 3.74.
 
Members of the Peru State golf team last year were Vivian Brown (Wichita, Kan.), Kayla Myers (Sidney, Iowa), Allison Tichy (Bellevue), Taylor Finke (Battle Creek), Gretchen Tharp (Rock Port, Mo.), and Brooklyn Brenneis (Tekamah).
 
The other Peru State women's teams honored were volleyball – 3.43, basketball – 3.34, softball – 3.14, cross country – 3.12, bowling – 3.01.
 
The Peru State men's teams that were honored as scholar teams were bowling – 3.28 and basketball – 3.00.
 
The competitive dance and cheer teams were also honored as scholar teams. Dance had a team GPA of 3.53 while cheer finished with a GPA of 3.43.
 
Athletic director Wayne Albury was pleased with the efforts of the entire department. Albury commented, "To have ten of our 13 athletic programs be named as Scholar Teams is a compliment to the teams and their coaches. It is difficult to navigate both the academic and athletic rigors they endure during an entire year."
 
Concluding, Albury added, "In addition, the entire department finished with a cumulative grade point average above a 3.0 which is outstanding."