NOTE: The GLVC contributed portions of this release.

(LEBANON, Ill., June 22)—McKendree University opened the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Academic Awards Week in record-breaking fashion by placing 16 teams on the 2019-20 GEICO Team Academic All-GLVC list. The 16 squads honored on Monday shatters the previous McKendree mark of 12 teams, which was earned by the institution in each of the past two years.
 
To earn GEICO Team Academic All-GLVC honors, an individual program must have its varsity team members earn at least a 3.3 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale for the entire 2019-20 academic year. The Bearcats did their part to contribute to a GLVC-record 207 squads that received the honor this year.
 
"From top to bottom, our student-athletes have once again left us in awe of their achievements in the classroom," said Chuck Brueggemann, director of athletics at McKendree. "The fact that McKendree established a new program record with 16 Team Academic All-GLVC squads in a year unlike any other we have faced before further proves their commitment to putting education before athletics. I applaud not only the effort shown by our student-athletes, but also the support from our coaches and athletics staff. They continue to provide the leadership which inspires the balance of focusing on the ultimate goal of earning a McKendree degree while competing at the top level on the playing fields."

Of the 16 programs honored from McKendree, the women's cross country team registered the highest collective team GPA for the University in 2019-20 at 3.83. A total of 10 McKendree teams finished the academic year with a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher. Along with the Bearcats' women's cross country team, among that group was softball (3.74), women's basketball (3.72), women's volleyball (3.68), women's golf (3.66), women's swimming and diving (3.64), women's soccer (3.63), women's bowling (3.55), women's lacrosse (3.55) and men's golf (3.53).
 
Also earning GEICO Team Academic All-GLVC accolades for McKendree in 2019-20 include women's track and field (3.49), men's tennis (3.47), men's swimming and diving (3.46), men's soccer (3.43), women's tennis (3.43) and baseball (3.34).
 
Collectively, the GLVC set a new league record this year with 13 member institutions finishing with 10 or more teams at or above a 3.30, besting the previous league high of 10 schools set last year. Maryville University set a new Conference mark with 17 sports meeting the 3.30 standard, just two years after the Saints set the previous best with 16 in 2017-18. McKendree tied with the University of Indianapolis for the second-highest team total at 16 in 2019-20.
 
Of the GLVC's 207 honored programs, 138 came from women's sports and 69 from the men's side. Three league sports – women's soccer (16), women's tennis (15), and women's swimming (10) – saw all of their teams above the 3.30 standard.  Among the other notables, women's golf, softball, and volleyball followed with 15 school winners, while men's golf, women's cross country, and women's track and field boasted 13 each.
 
The complete list of GEICO Team Academic All-GLVC Award honorees follows by institution in alphabetical order:
 
McKENDREE (16) – Women's Cross Country (3.83), Softball (3.74), Women's Basketball (3.72), Women's Volleyball (3.68), Women's Golf (3.66), Women's Swimming and Diving (3.64), Women's Soccer (3.63), Women's Bowling (3.55), Women's Lacrosse (3.55), Men's Golf (3.53), Women's Track and Field (3.49), Men's Tennis (3.47), Men's Swimming and Diving (3.46), Men's Soccer (3.43), Women's Tennis (3.42), Baseball (3.34).
 
Bellarmine (14) – Women's Soccer (3.72), Men's Golf (3.69), Men's Tennis (3.64), Women's Golf (3.63), Volleyball (3.60), Women's Cross Country (3.56), Women's Swimming (3.53), Women's Tennis (3.51), Women's Track & Field (3.48), Baseball (3.43), Women's Basketball (3.38), Men's Soccer (3.35), Men's Basketball (3.31), Men's Track & Field (3.30).

Central Missouri (1) – Women's Bowling (3.41).

Drury (15) – Women's Soccer (3.75), Men's Cross Country (3.68), Women's Golf (3.64), Men's Tennis (3.63), Men's Track and Field (3.61), Women's Cross Country (3.59), Men's Basketball (3.56), Women's Tennis (3.56), Women's Basketball (3.55),  Softball (3.53), Women's Track and Field (3.50), Baseball (3.44), Women's Swimming & Diving (3.41), Volleyball (3.41), Women's Bowling (3.36).

Illinois Springfield (13) – Women's Tennis (3.89), Women's Soccer (3.67), Men's Tennis (3.65), Women's Golf (3.62), Softball (3.59), Men's Golf (3.58), Women's Basketball (3.58), Volleyball (3.56), Women's Track and Field (3.46), Men's Cross Country (3.37), Men's Track and Field (3.35), Women's Cross Country (3.32), Men's Basketball (3.30).

Indianapolis (16) – Women's Tennis (3.85), Men's Tennis (3.83), Women's Cross Country (3.79), Softball (3.72), Women's Golf (3.71), Volleyball (3.69), Women's Swimming & Diving (3.67), Women's Soccer (3.62), Women's Track & Field (3.61), Men's Golf (3.51), Women's Basketball (3.49), Men's Soccer (3.42), Women's Lacrosse (3.41), Men's Swimming & Diving (3.39), Men's Cross Country (3.38), Wrestling (3.30).

Lewis (15) – Women's Basketball (3.63), Women's Golf (3.60), Softball (3.56), Men's Swimming (3.55), Volleyball (3.55), Women's Soccer (3.54), Women's Tennis (3.54), Men's Tennis (3.53), Women's Swimming (3.50), Women's Cross Country (3.41), Baseball (3.40), Men's Golf (3.40), Women's Bowling (3.39), Men's Cross Country (3.34), Women's Track and Field (3.34).

Lindenwood (14) - Women's Basketball (3.76), Women's Golf (3.75), Women's Lacrosse (3.73), Women's Soccer (3.66), Women's Tennis (3.65), Women's Swimming & Diving (3.64), Volleyball (3.58), Men's Tennis (3.48), Women's Track & Field (3.46), Softball (3.44), Men's Golf (3.39), Baseball (3.38), Men's Swimming & Diving (3.36), Men's Soccer (3.33).

Maryville (17) – Men's Golf (3.84), Women's Cross Country (3.79), Women's Swimming and Diving (3.79), Men's Tennis (3.73), Women's Soccer (3.69), Softball (3.68), Women's Bowling (3.66), Women's Tennis (3.49), Women's Basketball (3.48), Women's Volleyball (3.48), Men's Soccer (3.46), Women's Lacrosse (3.43), Baseball (3.41), Women's Track and Field (3.38), Wrestling (3.36), Women's Golf (3.34), Men's Swimming and Diving (3.31).

Missouri S&T (11) – Women's Golf (3.57), Women's Cross Country (3.53), Men's Golf (3.46), Women's Track & Field (3.44), Volleyball (3.43), Men's Soccer (3.41), Women's Basketball (3.41), Men's Swimming (3.39), Baseball (3.35), Softball (3.35), Women's Soccer (3.30).

Missouri-St. Louis (8) – Women's Tennis (3.88), Softball (3.73), Men's Tennis (3.71), Women's Basketball (3.70), Women's Swimming (3.66), Volleyball (3.59). Men's Golf (3.51), Women's Soccer (3.48).

Quincy (9) – Women's Soccer (3.62), Softball (3.58), Women's Tennis (3.58), Volleyball (3.55), Men's Golf (3.52), Women's Basketball (3.42), Women's Golf (3.41), Men's Soccer (3.31), Baseball (3.30).

Rockhurst (13) – Women's Cross Country (3.80), Women's Golf (3.80), Volleyball (3.80), Women's Tennis (3.77), Men's Golf (3.72), Women's Basketball (3.72), Men's Tennis (3.71), Softball (3.68), Women's Soccer (3.67), Women's Lacrosse (3.65), Men's Cross Country (3.53), Baseball (3.46), Men's Soccer (3.30).

Southern Indiana (11) – Women's Tennis (3.76), Women's Soccer (3.70), Women's Golf (3.55), Men's Tennis (3.53), Volleyball (3.48), Women's Cross Country (3.47), Women's Basketball (3.45), Men's Golf (3.44), Men's Soccer (3.40), Softball (3.31), Women's Track & Field (3.31).

Southwest Baptist (7) - Women's Tennis (3.91), Women's Cross Country (3.55), Men's Tennis (3.52), Women's Golf (3.43), Women's Track & Field (3.39), Women's Soccer (3.36), Softball (3.35).

Truman State (14) – Women's Golf (3.79), Women's Track & Field (3.72), Women's Cross Country (3.69), Women's Basketball (3.60), Softball (3.60), Volleyball (3.53), Men's Soccer (3.53), Women's Swimming (3.50), Men's Cross Country (3.49), Women's Soccer (3.43), Men's Track & Field (3.42), Men's Basketball (3.40), Women's Tennis (3.38), Men's Swimming (3.32).

William Jewell (13) – Women's Basketball (3.65), Women's Swimming (3.64), Women's Soccer (3.61), Men's Cross Country (3.59), Volleyball (3.59), Women's Tennis (3.55), Men's Tennis (3.54), Men's Track & Field (3.54), Women's Track & Field (3.49), Women's Golf (3.41), Women's Cross Country (3.41), Softball (3.37), Men's Golf (3.31).