The University of Vermont has been awarded the America East Academic Cup for the fourth consecutive year and becomes the first institution in conference history to win the award five times (1996, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008).

UVM student-athletes boasted a 3.14 cumulative grade-point average during the 2007-08 season. The 3.14 GPA ties the record for the top GPA in the 12-year history of the award, which Vermont set when it won the Academic Cup in 2005 and 2006.

"We are more than thrilled to receive the conference's highest academic award for the fourth consecutive year," said Athletic Director Robert Corran. "This is an honor earned by our exceptional student-athletes and shared by the many faculty and staff who support their efforts in the classroom and in their respective sports. It is also a reflection of the fine efforts of the student-athlete academic center staff."

The University of New Hampshire (3.12), University of Maine (3.10), Stony Brook University (3.06) and Binghamton University (3.04) were other institutions to compile grade-point averages of 3.00 or better in 2007-08.

The Academic Cup, established by the America East Board of Directors in 1995, is presented to the institution whose student-athletes post the highest grade-point averages during that academic year. UVM also took home the award in its inaugural year (1995-96).

A total of 13 of UVM's 16 teams that compete in the league earned GPAs of 3.0 or better this season. The field hockey team posted the best team GPA among all UVM athletics programs at 3.44, while the men's outdoor track and field squad led all men's sports with a 3.12 mark.

Vermont also boasts three America East Scholar-Athletes so far this season: Connor Tobin (men's soccer); Carmen Lagala (women's indoor track & field); and May Kotsopoulos (women's basketball). The spring scholar-athletes will be announced next month. Also, five Catamounts earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I honors this season.

A total of 14 teams among Vermont's athletic program earned GPAs of 3.0 or better in the spring. The women's teams combined to post a 3.243 GPA, while the men's teams weren't far behind, registering a 2.978 GPA. Overall, Catamount student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA or better for the 12th consecutive semester during the spring of 2008.

The Catamounts boast three leaders as the top teams in America East in their respective sports: men's outdoor track and field (3.12), women's soccer (3.39) and softball (3.30).