by Matt Cooke
I can’t tell you how excited I get when any West Georgia athletic team wins a game, big or small. As a graduate of this institution, to see the Red and Blue succeed on the field or court makes my heart sing each and every time.
But as excited as I get when my Wolves win, the news we received in the past month or so about our athletes and their success in the classroom makes the pride that I have for our teams grow by leaps and bounds.
First, the Athletic Department began a new tradition by honoring those athletes who completed their eligibility on the field and in the classroom with the introduction of stoles at graduation. Ten UWG graduates who happen to also be athletes were awarded a white stole to wear at the December graduation. To see a kid who I saw walk in the door four or five years ago grow into both an outstanding athlete and a college graduate brings a tear to my eye.
Next, the university announced the list of Ingram Scholars, which includes the best and brightest that UWG has to offer. Among that list were eight UWG athletes.
In addition to that, 80 of our athletes were named to the Dean’s List for the Fall of 2013, including 20 who achieved a 4.0 GPA for the semester. Of those 20 4.0 GPA athletes, nine of the Wolves’ 13 sports were represented. That also translated into a school record when the Gulf South Conference presented the 2013 Fall All-Academic teams, where 13 UWG athletes were voted as All-Academic, including seven from football, three from volleyball, two from soccer and one from cross-country.
Success on the field is an outstanding thing, but these kids are here to get an education. There is no greater priority than to see our athletes succeed and the fact that UWG is producing success in both areas is a reason to be proud.
Matt Cooke is the assistant sports information director and athletic events coordinator.
