• Seven Marquette teams received recognition for scoring in the top 10 percentile of Academic Progress Ratings for 2006-'07
• Women's volleyball, outdoor track, cross country and men's outdoor track, indoor track and golf received the highest APR scores at Marquette
• Ratings based on eligibility, retention and graduation rates

<The NCAA introduced APRs in 2005 to keep better track of student-athlete academic success

Marquette athletes are staying on the ball —not only in their athletics, but in school, too.

Last year, seven Marquette teams were recognized for scoring in the top 10 percentile in the country in the NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR), said Steven Cottingham, interim athletic director.

Women's volleyball, outdoor track and cross country and men's outdoor track, indoor track and golf received the "public recognition award" from the NCAA, according to the NCAA Web site.

All of Marquette's teams received a score above 925, the NCAA's cut-off point before penalty, with 1,000 being the highest on the APR score, the Web site said.

The APR measures student-athlete academic performance based on eligibility for athletics, the team's retention of students and the graduation rate, according to the Web site. An APR of 925 equals about a 60 percent Graduation Success Rate.

The highest average APRs for 2003 to 2006 were men's golf, women's cross country and women's volleyball with a perfect APR of 1,000. The lowest average was men's basketball with a score of 927. The next lowest was women's tennis with a score of 976, according to the NCAA's Division I 2005-'06 Academic Progress Rate Public Report.

The national team average APR of male student-athletes is 950 overall and the average for females is 970, according to the Web site. Cottingham said the reason Marquette performs so well is because of the character and hard work of its athletes.

"We recruit student-athletes and employ staff who embrace the mission statement of the athletic department: 'to strive for excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, and service to others in the Jesuit tradition, while embracing equity in opportunity, good sportsmanship, and ethical conduct.'"

Cottingham said the 78 percent student-athlete graduation rate is the same as the general student body.

"If you exclude student-athletes who transfer out in good academic standing or who transfer from Marquette, the graduation rate jumps to about 95 percent," Cottingham said.

APR data was first collected in 2005 from the 2003-'04 school year, said Dana Thomas, NCAA's administrative assistant for public and media relations.

According to Thomas, NCAA President Myles Brand said the APR scores make institutions more aware of and accountable for academic performance.

Teams that score below a 925 can be penalized with the discontinuation of scholarships. The NCAA can suspend up to 10 percent of scholarships under the current penalty system, according to the NCAA Web site.

About 75 schools were subject to penalties for the 2006-'07 school year according to the Web site.

Katlin Millin, a sophomore in the College of Health Sciences, said the student-athlete programming at Marquette, such as tutors and six required study hours a week for first semester freshmen athletes, helps keep student-athletes' academics on track.

Millin, who is on the women's track team, said the program motivates her. Plus, she said, "You know you can get help right away."

Millin said student-athletes are constantly playing catch-up in classes.

"It's hard enough to keep up with whatever you miss for traveling, but then also you come back and have to be prepared for what you're about to encounter that week," Millin said.