ASHEVILLE, N.C. – With 2020 coming to a close, the UNC Asheville student-athletes finished the year strong, posting a cumulative grade-point average of 3.296 for the fall semester.

There were 47 Bulldogs that earned Chancellor’s List honors (4.0), while 79 student-athletes earned Dean’s List (3.5-3.99), up from 24 and 74, respectively, in fall of 2019. The 3.296 GPA is the highest fall GPA in the last three fall semesters, edging out fall of 2018’s 3.253 mark.

“COVID 19 required many difficult adjustments for everyone in fall 2020,” said Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success Rebcecca Nelms. “There was a lot of disappointment around cancelled seasons, learning in online or hybrid classes and limited movement restrictions student-athletes experienced.  It is gratifying to see they stayed focused on the long term picture, pushed through the challenges and turned in a strong academic semester.”

Overall, 73 percent of the 269 student-athletes that were enrolled in fall of 2020 earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher, besting the previous two fall semesters of 66 and 67 percent. Fifteen of UNC Asheville’s programs garnered a cumulative GPA of 3.143 or higher, while seven squads totaled a GPA of 3.50 or better. Women’s Cross Country had the highest GPA of 3.704, while Men’s Tennis led the way for men’s sports with a GPA of 3.50, with four Bulldogs overall earning their degree this semester.