The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Athletics Wins Second Straight Halbrook Award
10/8/2010 | Academic Support
Oct. 8, 2010
MERIDIAN, Miss. - For the second straight year, Ole Miss has captured the Halbrook Award for having the highest graduation rate among Mississippi's women's college athletics programs during the past academic year.
The award was one of several presented last week at Meridian's Riley Center during the 77th annual Mississippi Association of Colleges (MAC) Conference, where all of the state's higher education institutions, which included public and private, as well as four-year and two-year schools, are represented. Hosting the conference was East Central Community College.
As calculated by the MAC, Ole Miss' 10 women's sports teams produced an 86 percent graduation rate in 2009-10 that was tops among the state's eight four-year public schools, which include Alcorn State, Delta State, Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss. Highlighting the Rebel squads were the golf and volleyball teams turning in perfect 100 percent graduation rates.
In addition, recent Ole Miss student-athletes Andy Hartmann (football) and Danielle Johnson (soccer) were recognized for excelling in the areas of athletics, academics, leadership and public service.
"Our mission as an academic institution is to provide our student-athletes with an opportunity to receive a college education, and for our female student-athletes to have the highest graduation rate amongst the public schools in the state for two consecutive years says a lot about their commitment to that mission" said Lynnette Johnson, Ole Miss Executive Associate Athletics Director.
"We're extremely proud of the female student-athletes for achieving this important goal in their lives."
In addition to the success in the classroom, Ole Miss women's athletics also excelled in competition last year led by the tennis team, which captured the SEC Western Division crown and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. The Rebel soccer, golf and track teams also competed in the NCAA Championships, while the basketball team returned to postseason play for the sixth time in the last seven seasons with a berth in the WNIT.
The Halbrook Award recognizes colleges and universities that maintain and achieve high academic standards for student-athletes, thus encouraging high graduation rates. The awards were established by the State Legislature in 1995 and named for former State legislator David Halbrook, whose family also endows the award program.
