NATCHITOCHES – All five of Northwestern State's programs that compete in the fall saw at least an eight-percent increase of their rosters that were named to the Southland Conference Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll, which was released Wednesday afternoon.
 
Those jumps, which led to an overall increase of more than 13 percent across the department, helped lead all Northwestern student-athletes to post a 3.19 grade point average in the Fall 2024 semester.
 
That mark was the highest for the department as a whole since at least the Spring 2014 semester.
 
"Part of our athletic department's mission is believing in the saying, 'Rings, Diplomas and Leaders,'" Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian said. "We want all of our student-athletes to win a championship in their sport, earn a degree in the major of their choice and become leaders in the communities they serve. Our student-athletes' performance in the classroom is a reflection of their commitment to making their Northwestern State experience a well-rounded one. It also serves as a testament to the work done by (Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development) Ventric Fletcher and his staff to establish a support system that has helped elevate our student-athletes' performance in the classroom."
 
Northwestern student-athletes have posted at least a 3.04 cumulative grade point average in seven straight semesters, dating to Fall 2021. The current 3.19 mark is the second straight semester with at least a 3.1 mark.
 
Overall, 108 of NSU's 168 competing fall student-athletes were named to the SLC Commissioner's Fall Honor Roll, which is composed of student-athletes who posted at least a 3.0 grade point average during the fall semester while competing in a conference-sponsored sport.
 
Northwestern's contingent had 21 student-athletes who posted a 4.0 grade point average, led by 12 soccer players who were perfect in the classroom.
 
Volleyball had the largest year-to-year increase among fall programs, seeing 92.86 percent of its roster make the honor roll, a jump of 21.43 percent from the Fall 2023 semester.
 
Led by its group of 4.0 scholar athletes, soccer posted the highest percentage of members on the honor roll at 93.75 percent (30 of 32).
 
Both cross-country teams saw double-figure jumps – 19 percent for women's cross country and 14.3 percent for men's – while football raised its total by 8.56 percent, placing 50 percent of its 108-man roster on the honor roll.