CLEVELAND, OH – 122 UVA Wise student-athletes have been recognized for their academic accomplishments in the 2024-25 academic year with a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award.

The award is sponsored by the Division 2 Athletic Director's Association and goes to student-athletes in NCAA-sponsored sports who have at least a 3.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), have finished at least four semesters of college work, and were an active member of an intercollegiate team last year.

This is the eighteenth year that the awards have been recognized, and for the first time ever they have surpassed 20,000 recipients (22,756) from a record 202 institutions.

Overall, 190,032 total student-athletes have been recognized since the inception of the awards program.

UVA Wise almost doubled the number from last year with 122, compared to 68 in 2023-24.

The South Atlantic Conference came in second nationally with 1,755 on the list, trailing only the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's total of 2,051. However, the PSAC has fifteen members compared to the eleven listed in the SAC. The SAC's total also does not include Limestone's student-athletes as the institution closed and did not submit any information.

"Since its inception, this program has been dedicated to celebrating the exceptional student-athletes who define excellence across our Division II landscape," said Traci Murphy, vice president for athletics at Daemen University and current D2 ADA President. "This year, we are thrilled to recognize a record number of deserving individuals, reflecting the unprecedented dedication within our division - not only in athletics, but in the classroom as well. This year's record-breaking submissions for both individuals and schools serve as a testament to the Division II way. Thanks to the administrators that nominated these outstanding individuals, and much-deserved congratulations to our 22,000-plus recipients."