INDIANAPOLIS-- Three University of North Dakota athletics programs are among the top 10 percent in their respective sports in all of Division I, according to a Wednesday release by the NCAA. Both of North Dakota's golf teams along with the women's cross country squad all earned honors, giving UND 24 such recognitions across nine different sports since 2010. After leading the Big Sky Conference for the past four seasons, UND has now paced the conference in five consecutive years, tying this year with Purdue Fort Wayne and Oral Roberts with its three recognized teams. 

The Public Recognition Awards are given each year to teams with APRs that rank among the top 10-percent nationally in their respective sport. The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or quarter and provides a clear picture of the academic performance for each team in each sport. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years.

Each year, the NCAA honors selected NCAA Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate. This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. Specifically, these teams posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport. This year's release will again include recognition in the sport of football by subdivision (i.e., Football Bowl Subdivision and NCAA Football Championship Subdivision).
 
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship.  The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation and provides a measure of each team's academic performance. 

APRs for all Division I teams will be announced on May 8.