NEW YORK – Georgetown University has been named winner of the BIG EAST Presidents’ Award for the 2018-19 academic year. The annual conference honor, which was established by the league’s Presidents in 2015, goes to the BIG EAST institution that has excelled at the highest levels in academics, athletics and citizenship during the preceding academic year.
A selection committee of athletic and academic administrators from each BIG EAST institution chose Georgetown for the award. Each institution provides the selection committee with comprehensive information that highlights its accomplishments in all three areas.
“The BIG EAST Presidents’ Award was created to recognize the full scope of student-athlete achievement, and we extend our congratulations to the Georgetown Hoyas for their exceptional performance this past year in the classroom, in competition and in the community,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman. “We commend President Jack DeGioia, Director of Athletics Lee Reed and Georgetown’s coaches, administrators and faculty for committing to a holistic experience and the lifetime success of the extraordinary young people who are part of all 29 Hoya varsity programs.”
“This distinction honors the work of so many members of our Georgetown community in their individual and collective pursuit of excellence,” said Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia. “Our students engaged in intercollegiate athletics, with the support of our faculty, athletics department, coaches, and staff, have made a tremendous commitment to personal formation through sport, and together they sustain a culture of integrity, excellence, and service. I'm grateful for the many ways that our community supports one another, and wish to express our deepest appreciation to the BIG EAST for this special recognition.”
“Winning the BIG EAST Presidents’ Award is an incredible honor for our University which wouldn't be possible without the leadership of President DeGioia and our Board of Directors,” said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Lee Reed. "This recognition truly exemplifies what it means to be a Georgetown student-athlete as we celebrate success on the field of play, in the classroom and within our community. Every day we strive towards the excellence that this award represents, and I commend our student-athletes, coaches and administrators for their commitment to our mission."
Academics – Georgetown had 12 of its teams that compete in the BIG EAST earn NCAA APR recognition in 2018-19. The Hoyas’ field hockey and women’s swimming and diving teams have been two of only 73 programs nationally to receive APR recognition every year since the inception of the APR. The APR is the NCAA’s annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for Division I sports.
The other programs recognized are: men’s golf, men’s soccer, men’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis, men’s track, softball, women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, women’s tennis and volleyball.
Thirteen sports had a 100 percent graduation rate. Overall, Georgetown teams earned a graduation rate of 97 percent. In BIG EAST sports, Georgetown student-athletes compiled an overall GPA of 3.28. Eight programs were higher than 3.4. Four teams – women’s soccer, men’s golf, men’s tennis and women’s basketball had their best overall GPAs since 2005.
Individually, women’s soccer player Caitlin Farrell and men’s lacrosse standout Daniel Bucaro were named BIG EAST Scholar-Athletes of the Year in their respective sports. In addition to Farrell’s accomplishments, women’s soccer stars Arielle Schechtman and Meaghan Nally were voted Academic All-America First Team.
Team Athletic Accomplishments – The Hoyas finished 69th in the Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cup Standings, which was tops in the BIG EAST and sixth among non-FBS institutions nationally. The Hoyas’ athletic program boasted five NCAA Tournament team berths, 15 individual BIG EAST titles and 12 BIG EAST major award winners.
The women’s soccer team was the 2018 BIG EAST regular-season and tournament titlists. The Hoyas were ranked as high as No. 2 nationally and were the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Championship. The team reached the College Cup for the second time in three years.
The men’s soccer team was the BIG EAST Tournament champion and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Championship. The women’s basketball team advanced to the WNIT quarterfinals for the first time since 2009. The men’s swimming and diving team earned 32 All-BIG EAST accolades, including six gold medals.
The men’s indoor track and field tallied four BIG EAST event crowns. The men’s and women’s lacrosse teams both won the BIG EAST Championship. The men’s team made their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams won a total of four individual titles.
Citizenship –- Over the course of the 2018-19 academic year, Georgetown’s student-athletes and coaches were engaged in numerous community service projects and local organizations, active participants in educational programs that focus on personal development, and have demonstrated sportsmanship and ethical conduct in competition.
In August, returning student-athletes participated in a mentoring program, Hoya Fall Formation, which assisted all incoming student-athletes in transition to life at the university. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has been extremely active, including sponsorship of a SAAC Career Blitz, which provide multiple professional development opportunities. In February, a Huddle-Up meeting was held to address gender violence. Members of the SAAC attended the career networking event where elite corporations were present that was held in conjunction with the BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Championship at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In the spring, the President’s office hosted the Captains and Coaches Dinner to acknowledge the contributions of the student-athletes. Throughout the year, Intern Development Programs are held.
To address Diversity and Inclusion/Gender Equity, forums were conducted throughout the academic year to discuss diversity and inclusion issues related to the identity of student-athletes at Georgetown.
For community service, each sport program participates in at least one community engagement each semester. Most of the teams work closely with the Center of Social Justice (CSJ). Hoya student-athletes have engaged in 1,800 hours of community engagement. Some of the organizations student-athletes have assisted included Special Olympics, National Girls and Women in Sports Day Event, Habitat for Humanity, volunteering at Highland Park Hospital and Team IMPACT, which connects children facing serious and chronic illness with college athletic teams).
About the BIG EAST:
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of ten nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,500 student-athletes on over 180 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in seven of the country’s top 36 largest media markets and include Butler University, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit
www.bigeast.com.