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UM Soars Higher In U.S. News & World Report Rankings

It should come as no surprise to any Miami Hurricane fan that the University of Miami continues to make excellent strides in the NCAA Annual Progress Report (APR) rankings as well as many other well known and highly respected national rankings of colleges in the U.S. 

In fact, the steady and consistent academic progress at UM over the past decade has resulted in Miami now being ranked among the top 40 academic institutions in the entire Nation.

In the 2012 edition of theU.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Colleges" issue, released today, the University of Miami has risen to number 38 - up from 47 last year, a nine point rise. 

UM remains the highest ranked school in the state of Florida. In an impressive ascent, Miami has moved up 29 slots in the last 10 years, making it one of the fastest rising institutions among national universities in recent times.

"We are absolutely delighted that U.S. News & World Report has moved the University of Miami from 47 to 38. We were a top 50 school last year and we're a top 40 this year," said UM President Donna E. Shalala.  "All the credit goes to our incredible faculty, student body, staff, trustees, alumni, parents, and all our supporters over the years.

Shalala continued by stating: "This has truly been a climb to excellence. The road to excellence means investments in our students, in our faculty, in our facilities. But more than anything else, it's a tribute to all of those who believe in the University of Miami, who believe in quality education. This is a success story not just for the University but our entire South Florida community."

UM is the only school currently in the top 50 to move up nine spots in one year and 29 spots in the past 10 years.  UM's remarkable ascent in the rankings can be attributed to its marked improvement in key areas such as the six-year graduation rate, freshman retention rate, average SAT score of its incoming freshmen, and percentage of freshmen who were in the top 10% of their high school graduation class.

Here are some of the critical areas that are measured as part of the ranking process:

• The total number of applicants has nearly doubled from 13,080 in 2000 to 25,899 in 2010 and as a result the University has been more selective by only accepting 39% of all applicants. 
• The 2010 mean SAT score is at a record 1295, up from 1175 in 2000. 
• Sixty-eight percent of 2010 freshmen were in the top 10% of their high school graduating class compared to 45% in 2000. 
• The six-year graduation rate in 2010 was at its highest ever at 80%, up from 62% in 2000.

Just in case you were wondering Miami easily scored the highest among all major colleges in the State.  Here are the 2012 rankings for major universities in Florida:

1. University of Miami: Ranked #38
2. University of Florida: Ranked #58
3. Florida State University: Ranked #101
4. Florida International University: Ranked #164
5. University of Central Florida: Ranked #177
6. University of South Florida: Ranked #181

Friends Don't Let Friends Go To FSU

I should let you know that out of respect to country music legend Willie Nelson I was going to title this blog article: "Mommas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Seminoles".  But that would be disrespectful to Willie and so I just couldn't do it.

But seriously what you may not realize is that if a high school athlete really cared about getting a college education (some obviously don't) and if they all knew what I knew about academics and Florida State University then they would have to admit that the blog title is 100% accurate and factually true.

Friend don't let friends go to Florida State.

In fact it could be argued that the words "academics" and "Florida State University" should never appear in the same sentence unless the word "failure" comes right before or after those words.

Now, all I am asking is for if for you to just give me a few minutes to prove it. I did all the research, I crunched all of the numbers and I have to say that what I found left me a little bit shocked at the actual findings and results.

I looked at the NCAA Academic Progress Report Scores for the three major revenue producing men's college sports: football, basketball and baseball. If you are not familiar with the NCAA's APR it is an annual report that measures the year-to-year and four year aggregate academic performance of a university's athletic teams in all intercollegiate sports.

I went to the NCAA web site to research and compare FSU's APR scores in the three major sports with what are considered the four other major universities in Florida (Miami, Florida, Central Florida and South Florida) and all twelve of the Atlantic Coast Conference teams and what I found was basically this:

It was nearly impossible to find one single example in any sport that favored the Seminoles.

I guess if one thing can be said about FSU is that they are consistent. As in consistently bad. But don't take my word for it, just let the numbers and stats do the trash talking for me.

Football: The Seminoles and Dumbo, excuse me Jimbo Fisher, came in dead last in the State of Florida and 10th out of the 12 teams in the ACC.

• The ACC average APR score was 957.
• FSU missed that low water mark by 25 points with a score of 932
• That is just two points above the minimal accepted NCAA score of 930.
• Not surprisingly Duke led the conference in football with a 986 score.
• Miami came in second at 979. The 'Noles trailed Miami by 47 points.
• Even UF (976), UCF (971) and USF (952) scored higher than FSU.

Basketball: The Seminoles and former UM head coach Leonard Hamilton who apparently moved on to easier pickings should be ashamed. FSU did worse in roundball than in football in the APR rankings:

• The ACC average for basketball was 961.
• Miami came in well above that at 975.
• FSU scored a embarrassing 926,the 2nd lowest in the ACC (GT 915).
• Even UF (964), USF (937) and UCF (929) outscored the Seminoles.

Baseball:  Finally we get to the Seminoles pride and their celebrated head coach Mike Martin. When you see the final results it is enough to make you choke on your mustard covered hot dog:

• The ACC average was 977.
• Miami came in third in the ACC and scored 989 (Duke 1000, UVA 992).
• FSU came in at 938 and LAST in the ACC (next lowest was MD at 949).
• UF pulled off a 981 and UCF a 980 both below Miami at 989.

These facts beg the question: Why would friends let friends go to FSU?

Epic Fail: FSU At The CWS

Twenty one. 

That is exactly how many attempts Florida State University has had at trying to win a College World Series.  And what do the Seminoles have to show for their efforts aside from what must be by now a huge collection of frequent flyer miles?  Nothing, zero, nada, zilch.

Twenty one.

FSU has had not ten, or twenty, but 21 attempts since thier first appearence at the CWS in 1957 under the notable coach Dick Howser at trying to win a College World Series without a single National Championship to their credit. 

In fact, FSU leads the Nation by a sizeable margin in number of attempts without a win at the CWS. The next team on the list of Epic Fails at the CWS is Clemson at 12 attempts without a win. And I would be remiss if I did not remind you that the Florida Gators are also on the list of Epic Failures with 8 CWS appearences without a win.  Go Gators!

But let's not get distratced and focus our attention on FSU and 21 attempts with no CWS titles.  Have you ever tried to do something 21 times in a row?  Do you know how difficult that is?

How many NBA players make 21 consecutive shots or even free throws?

How many MLB players collect a hit in 21 consecutive games?

How many NFL QBs complete 21 passes in a row?

How many NCAA kickers make 21 consecutive field goals without even one sailing wide right?

Doing anything 21 times in a row is a very difficult thing to do.  Yet FSU and their celebrated, long-time head coach Mike Martin have made it look effortless in losing 21 consective trips to the CWS.

Speaking of Martin, he has personally accounted for 15 of the 21 epic fails at the CWS in Omaha, Nebraska. Martin began coaching at FSU in 1980 and over the last 32 years managed to get his team into the CWS on 15 occasions and even got as close as runner-up three times. 

The Seminoles came in second place three times by losing the championship game to USC in 1970, to Arizona in 1986 and to some small, private school in Coral Gables known as the University of Miami in 1999.  However, nobody remembers who came in second and the fact is that second place is just the first team that loses.

The 2012 ACC Coach of the Year has a winning record, an excellent program, recruited a boatload of great players over the years and even a beautiful stadium named after him and yet he still cannot seem to find a way to win a National Championship in spite of of all of his other accomplishsments.

In fact, Only one team in college baseball, the University of Miami, has been to more consecutive NCAA Tournaments than Florida State, who have, as of the 2012 season, made 33 straight postseason appearances. 

We should also point out that Miami, a college baseball dynasty since the mid-70's has won four CWS titles to their credit, winning National Championships in 1982, 1985 under Ron Fraser and again in 1999 and 2001 under current head coach Jim Morris.

Twenty one.

Apparently, the College World Series is to Mike Martin as "Wide Right" is to Bobby Bowden. To use a baseball analogy FSU has had 21 "at bats" in trying to win a College World Series. The Seminoles have struck out either looking or swinging all 21 times.

Twenty one.

That record number, by anyone's assessment, is the definition of an Epic Fail. 

Anything U Can Do, Heyman Can Do Better

There is always a lot of speculation and hoopla around a highly recruited high school athlete who not only can play more than one major sport but more than one position in more than one major sport.

Miami Hurricane fans let me introduce you to the very versatile and talented Grant Heyman. 

Heyman you see is a multi-sport, multi-position athlete who excels in both baseball and football on the high school level.  Heyman hails from Pittsford Sutherland High School in New York State where he has won several individual awards and also led his team to State championships.

Grant is such a stud in baseball that he was recently selected in the 2012 MLB draft.  However, he turned down the MLB money to sign a Letter on Intent to play baseball for the Jim Morris and the Miami Hurricanes.  But baseball isn't Grant's only gig, he also plays some pretty good football (and basketball) too. 

According to reporter Mitch Pritchard of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Heyman, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound outfielder, was an 11th round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this month. But he said the opportunity to play baseball in the Atlantic Coast Conference was too much to pass up. Heyman said he has received permission to also walk onto the Hurricane football team. 

Pritchard quoted Heyman as saying: “It has always been my dream to play Division I sports,” Heyman said. “I was pretty positive that it wouldn’t happen at an ACC school like Miami, but now it is becoming a reality. The Miami coaches are pretty sure they can turn me into a first-round draft pick. I am ready to go down there and work hard.”

The uber-talented Heyman is also skilled at the art of self promotion. He has developed a web site detailing his many athletic accomplishments that can be found here: http://grantheyman.com/index.html

During Grant’s sophomore year (2010), his season culminated with Sutherland High School winning its first-ever State Championship. In the championship final game, Grant was 3-3 with 2 doubles and a game-clinching homerun.

He supported his Team’s 24-2 season by leading the team in Extra Base Hits, Doubles, Stolen Base Percentage, Fielding Percentage, and he was 2nd in Hits, Homeruns, Triples, and Slugging Percentage.  He tied state records for Doubles in one game (4) and Extra Base Hits in one game (5).  Individual honors included Birdseye Player of the Week and All County.

For his Sophomore and Junior seasons, Grant has hit a combined .375 with 29 extra base hits, 29 steals (in 31 attempts) and has committed only one error in the field.

In his two seasons as starting QB, Heyman led his team to a stellar 16-3 record.  

In 2011, the team won a school record 9 games, and Grant set School Records for Passing Yardage and TD Passes in a season. 

Grant averaged 9 yards per passing attempt, and 6 yards per rushing attempt, and was recognized for the 2nd straight season as 1st Team All County , and also received Monroe County Player of the Game and Player of the Week recognition.

In the New York State Large School (AA) Division, he ranked 1st in the State in Passer Rating (112), 2nd in Completion Pct. (61%) and 2nd in TD Passes (15).

As a kicker, Grant ranked 1st in New York State in total kicking points (58), 1st in PAT Pct. (95.2%), and 3rd in Field Goals (6).

However, Heyman was not done yet!  The newest Hurricane commitment also played cornerback on defense, where he ranked 3rd with 4 interceptions.

But wait, that's not all!  I know at this point you are probably overwhelmed with the positive facts about the newest Miami Hurricane, but hold on, it get's even better. Not only does Heyman dominate his opponents on the field but he is also a great student and an even better person off the field. 

We found this on his web site: "Grant is a solid student, and continues to make community service a priority, working with youth athletics, and has completed a summer mission to help build schools in Nicaragua."

So just remember, whatever U can do, Heyman can do better!

It's About Damn Time!

Those four simple words came comfortably rolling out of Lebron James' mouth on Thursday night after the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in game five at the American Airlines Arena on the shores of beautiful Biscayne Bay to clinch their second NBA Championship. 

When asked how it felt to win his first NBA title the now formally anointed King James quickly and confidently responded: "It's about damn time." 

While those words reflected exactly how James felt at that moment in time, it also echoed the shared sentiments of all Miami sports fans longing for a chance to cheer for another championship team in their home town.

The stunningly decisive victory in front of a rowdy, sold-out and celebratory home town crowd set the stage for a massive street party all across Miami-Dade County that had not been seen in the 305 since 2006.  That was the last time the Heat won the NBA championship it was over the Dallas Mavericks and behind the stellar play of Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal.

For Miami sports fans it has been too long between those championship moments by their beloved teams from Miami, who for some strange reason the national media and other teams' fans seem to love to hate.  Why Miami's sports teams, college and pro, draw the ire of so many sports fans across the Country is a difficult thing to understand.

The Miami Dolphins haven't won a Super Bowl since the early 70's when Don Shula was appointed The Don of Miami after winning back-to-back rings and completing the NFL's only perfect season in 1972.  The Dolphins last played in a Super Bowl in 1984 when a young talented QB named Dan Marino was just ascending onto the NFL scene. 

Dan the Man and his Dolphin squad lost that Super Bowl to the San Francisco 49ers and then struggled to get back to the big game for the rest of his illustrious career in Miami.  Life after Dan and Don has been anything but productive for the 'Fins and less than enjoyable for Dolphin football fans.

The Florida Panthers flirted with a Stanely Cup title during the incredible and unlikely "Year of the Rat" back in 1996 when they went to the Cup finals against Colorado before bowing out to the Avalanche in four games. 

However, the Panthers have only been to the playoffs four times in 18 years and their 2012 appearance was their first in the post-season in 12 years. The Panthers are still hoping to catch some of that "rat magic" once again for their home town hockey fans who come in out of the heat to enjoy some cool ice time in hot, sunny South Florida.

The Florida (and now Miami) Marlins began play in 1993 and proceeded to win two Major League Baseball World Championships faster than any other franchise in MLB history back in 1997 and 2003.

Since then the Marlins have been stuck in mediocrity after they traded away their best players to cut salaries and survive what appeared to be a slowly dwindling fan base in spite of the early successes. 

Still, fans in the 305 now hope to see a resurgence of The Fish now that they have a new logo and a new stadium that was built on the same site where the famed Miami Orange Bowl used to stand.

Speaking of the Orange Bowl never was a street party in the 305 ever so loud and proud as it was after the Miami Hurricanes shocked the world and the Nebraska Corhuskers in the 1984 Orange Bowl after a spectacular, National Championship winning 1983 season under Howard Schnellenberger.  

The Hurricanes would go on to win another four NCAA National Championships under three different coaches in 1987, 1989, 1991 and 2001 in what amounted to the undisputed greatest 20 year run ever in the history of college football. 

At some point in time, and for an entire decade from 1983 to 1993, UM fans began to feel as though it was their birth right to either play in or win the National Championship on a yearly basis. 

But that was then, and this is now. It has been a long and difficult 10 year drought since Miami competed for or managed to bring home the BCS Crystal Ball.  In terms of college football history a decade is actually a relatively short time span, but to Hurricane fans, it seems much, much longer. 

Hurricane fans, spoiled over the years by success at the highest levels of college football, have clung to their team's glorious history while suffering through nearly a decade of being just average and while patiently and hopefully awaiting their resurrection under second-year head coach Al Golden. 

Certainly by now, after over 10 years of suffering through losing seasons while losing relevance in the National college football championship discussion, University of Miami football fans can't wait for the next time that a reporter from ESPN has the opportunity to ask UM head coach Al Golden:

"So how does it feel to win a National Championship after all this time?"

We hope that Al Golden responds just like Lebron James did the other night:

"It's about damn time!

Kehoe Has The Gall To Steal One From Ohio

On Wednesday class of 2013 offensive tackle Alex Gall verbally committed to the University of Miami. 

Gall currently attends well known Moeller high school in Cincinatti, Ohio.  Founded in 1960, Archbishop Moeller is a private, all-male Catholic school.

Over the years the school gained fame and recognition by winning seven State football championships and five mythical National championships under then head coach Gerry Faust.

Faust managed to amass an impressive 178-23-2 record at Moeller from 1962 to 1980.  Unfortunately for Notre Dame that led them to decide to hire Faust to coach the Fighting Irish in 1981 to replace Dan Devine who had resigned. 

Faust finished his first season at ND at 5-6 and never won more than seven games in a season.  He ended his career with the Irish at 30-26-1 and never contended for a championship before being fired in 1985.

Measuring in at 6'-5" and 295 pounds Gall is currently rated as a three-star prospect by all of the recruiting services and as the #60 overall offensive tackle in the Nation. 

Gall had over 15 offers from prominent colleges all over the Country including UM rival FSU along with  North Carolina, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Duke, Indiana, Kentucky, Cincinatti and Louisville.

Hurricanes offensive line coach Art Kehoe was directly responsible for recruiting Gall to Miami.  One source said that Gall was pursued hard by Kehoe and was at the very top of his "must get" list for the 2013 class much like Norland OT Erick Flowers was last year. 

That makes Kehoe, the legendary and lifetime Miami coach with five National Championship rings, now two for two in getting his top OL prospect over the last two years.

As most football fans know it all starts up front along the line of scrimmage.  For the Hurricanes to be successful in 2012 and beyond the offensive line in particular must step up to the challenge and protect whichever quarterback wins the starting role this season to replace the recently graduated Jacory Harris.

Kehoe, who has coached many star players in the past at UM such as Leon Searcy, Vernon Carey, Brett Romberg, Bryant McKinnie, Eric Winston, Joaquin Gonzalez, K.C. Jones and Richard Mercier, certainly has his work cut out for him as whoever wins the QB competition this year will be a first-year, full time starter for the Hurricanes.

Stephen Morris, Ryan Williams or any other QB on Miami's roster will certainly need all of the protection, time and space they can get to execute Miami's intellectually demanding and complex pro-style offense.

First Football, Then Basketball And Now Baseball?

After Miami Hurricanes' football coach Al Golden and basketball coach Jim Larranaga both got their nice new camping gear out recently and decided to put it to good use on Greentree Field and at the BankUnited Center, they apparently then decided to loan it to UM baseball coach Jim Morris in July to set up camp at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field in Coral Gables.

Actually to be fair, all Hurricane fans know that it is Morris who by far has the longest tenure at Miami and also the longest camping history at The U. And since the heart of summer is almost here that must mean that the 2012 Jim Morris Baseball Camp is now open for registration.

Three different camps, including day camps for players ages 6-13 and hitting and defensive/pitching camps for players ages 10-20, will offer instruction to youngsters from one of the most successful and experienced coaching staffs in college baseball.

Morris, along with assistant coaches Gino DiMare, J.D. Arteaga and Lou Palmisano, will be hosting the camps in Coral Gables for hundreds of hopeful young baseball players of all ages and skill levels.

Day camps: Will begin in early July, are expected to sell out quickly. These camps stress important fundamentals of throwing, catching, running and team concepts. Campers are divided by age and ability for games, with group instructions and individual attention. There are three different day camps open for registration (July 2-6, July 9-13, July 16-20), and each is priced at only $235.00.

Hitting camp: This camp is intended for players ranging in ages from 10-20, is scheduled for July 23-24 and is priced at only $175.00. The special two-day camp will feature fundamentals, drills and techniques of hitting that are taught to current Miami Hurricane players.

Defensive/pitching camp: This camp will feature techniques, instructional drills, and a defense-only pro-style workout. This two-day camp is also priced for only $175.00 and is set for July 25-26.

All camps run daily from 9 AM to 4 PM with lunch provided.

To sign up for the premier baseball camps for players of all ages and abilities, make checks payable to: Jim Morris Baseball Camp and mail to: UM Baseball Office, 6201 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33156. For more information, contact (305) 284-4171

Football Is Not The Only Game In Town

While many Miami Hurricane fans have been focusing on Al Golden's Summer Football Camps held at Greentree Field on the beautiful campus of the University of Miami some may have missed the fact that there is another exciting Summer sports camp going on in Coral Gables just around the corner and down Ponce De Leon Boulevard at the BankUnited Center.

Last week more than 100 campers participated in the sold out first session of the 2012 Jim Larranaga basketball Camp at the University of Miami.

Registration is currently being accepted for the final four sessions of the five-day camps. Students in grades 1-7 can register for Camps 3 July 9-13, Camp 4 July 23-27 or Camp 5 July 29-Aug. 3. Camp 6 is Aug. 6-10 and is for students grades 1-12.

Hurricane basketball players and staff are on hand to coach the campers in drills and games, but also to be role models for the youth.

“UM players are heroes to these kids,” said Mike Summey, UM’s Director of Basketball Operations and Camp Director. “To have current players act as coaches and spend time with the kids is a great
opportunity for both current and young Canes.”

For $285 per session, kids receive daily individual instruction, game play, all-you-can-eat lunch, a camp t-shirt and a camp basketball. In addition, there are tremendous guest lecturers, many awards given with each age group and a championship series played on the final day.

The camps are held in The Fieldhouse on the Coral Gables campus, adjacent to the BankUnited Center, the home of the Hurricanes. Sessions run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day. Children of UM employees may receive a $25 discount, while discounts are also available for groups of six or more.

For more information, please visit www.hurricanesports.com or contact Mike Summey in the Miami men's basketball office at (305) 284-6062.

Just For Kicks

This Wednesday Miami Hurricane head coach Al Golden will hold a special teams camp for kickers and punters on the beautiful campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables.

While special teams in general, and kickers and punters especially, do not get the four or five star hype from recruiting sites that other more sexy positions get, they are as equally important to a team's success as any other position on the field.

Whenever I think of special teams and kickers in particular for some strange reason I always think of Miami rival FSU.  If Bobby Bowden had a reliable kicker during his glory years at FSU who knows how many more games and maybe even National Championships he might have won.

Can U say "Wide Right"?  Yeah, I thought so! 

At Golden's kicking camp on Wednesday there will be one very special player that we will be watching very closely and rooting for.  In fact we hope that Miami will offer him a scholarship based on his performance at the event.

That player is class of 2014 kicker/punter Christian Periera from Timber Creek High School in Orlando.  We had the very fortunate opportunity to meet Chris and his father at the UM Spring Game at Sun Life Stadium back in April. They stopped and chatted with us for a little while at the #CanesFam tailgate party in the parking lot at Sun Life Stadium.

If you remember recent UM kicker/punter Matt Bosher then you have a pretty good idea of the type of player that Chris is. Like Bosher, he also is a kicker and punter and loves to tackle on special teams.

Chris recently told Canesinsider.com that:  "Miami has been my dream school since day one. I have been going to their games since I was six years old. I have been a die-hard Miami fan."

With a long field goal of 47 yards and a 90% FG attempts made rating, Pereira is already rated as one of the top kickers in the Country.  He also averaged 45.8 yards per punt last year and knocked 5 of his 25 punts out inside the opponents 20 yard line.

Bosher was such a vicious tackler and head hunter on special teams that many fans jokingly begged then Head Coach Randy Shannon to play Bosher at middle linebacker.  It never happened but it certainly would have been fun to watch!

Many scouts believe that Chris Periera is that type of player. At 6-2 and 197 pounds Chris is an imposing player who breaks the mold or stereotype of the typical skinny, weak place kicker.

As one of the top ranked kickers in the Nation Chris does not lack for confidence.  When we talked to him at the Spring Game he was pretty bold and certain that he was the best high school kicker in Florida and possibly even better than any other kicker or punter currently on the UM roster. 

We tend to really like kickers with confidence like Danny Miller, Carlos Huerta, Jeff Feagles, Greg Cox and Matt Bosher.  To us at least it appeared that Chris is that type of player.

Hurricanes Set The Bar In The Latest NCAA APR

Each year the NCAA honors select Division I sports teams by publicly recognizing their latest multiyear NCAA Division I APR.  This announcement is part of the overall Division I academic reform effort and is intended to highlight teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top APRs within their respective sports. 

Specifically, teams that are recognized by the NCAA are those that have posted multiyear APRs in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport.

Five University of Miami teams were publically honored for being among the top 10 percent in Academic Progress Rates (APR), as announced by the NCAA on Wednesday.

Football, baseball, women’s cross country, women’s golf and men’s diving were recognized with APR Public Recognition Awards. It marks the third straight year that Miami football has been recognized for finishing among the top 10 percent. Baseball and women’s golf were both honored for the second
consecutive season.

"It is with great appreciation that we accept this honor from the NCAA and we applaud not only our illustrious student-athletes, but the faculty, academic advisors and coaching staff for fostering an environment that cultivates personal, academic and athletic excellence," said David Wyman, UM
Associate AD for Academic Services.

Miami Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst had this to say about the UM student-athletes' high academic achievement: "The collective effort of the student-athletes on the baseball, football, women’s cross country, women’s golf and men’s diving teams have raised the bar at the University of Miami. We join our coaches and academic support staff in celebrating the academic achievement of these Miami Hurricanes, which has established a new high of five APR Public Recognition Awards."

Eichorst concluded his remarks by stating: "This success starts with dedication and perseverance by our student-athletes, who are able to balance the many pressures of college and still achieve academic success at a higher rate than the majority of their peers.”