NC Leads SAC With 214 D2 Achievement Awards
At Newberry College, sometimes choosing small is how you go big — in competition, in the classroom, and in what comes next.
That commitment to the whole student-athlete is reflected in Newberry’s 214 student-athletes recognized with 2025–26 Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards, the most of any institution in the South Atlantic Conference.
Newberry was also one of just 16 NCAA Division II institutions nationally with more than 200 student-athletes recognized. More than 21,000 student-athletes representing 179 institutions earned the honor nationwide.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for our student-athletes and a testament to the priority Newberry College places on academic excellence,” said Steven Janowiak, Interim Executive Administrator for Athletics. “With 214 student-athletes earning a 3.5 GPA or higher, Newberry ranks No. 1 in the South Atlantic Conference and among the top institutions nationally. It is also exciting to see the SAC recognized as one of the nation’s leading conferences, with nearly 1,600 student-athletes achieving this level of academic success. We are incredibly proud of our Wolves and our staff who support our student athletes for the discipline, commitment and excellence they demonstrate both in competition and in the classroom.”
The recognition reflects the experience Newberry strives to provide its student-athletes: the opportunity to compete at a high level while receiving the personal attention, support and education of a small college community.
The South Atlantic Conference had 1,594 student-athletes recognized, placing it among nine Division II conferences nationwide with more than 1,000 honorees.
To qualify for the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, have completed at least two years of college-level work and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during the 2025–26 academic year.
At Newberry, the results reinforce a simple idea: Choosing small doesn’t mean thinking small. For Newberry student-athletes, it means having the opportunity and support to go big — academically, athletically and beyond.
View the full release here: https://nacda.com/news/2026/8/26/division-ii-athletics-directors-association-academic-achievement-recipients-announced.aspx
At Newberry College, sometimes choosing small is how you go big — in competition, in the classroom, and in what comes next.
That commitment to the whole student-athlete is reflected in Newberry’s 214 student-athletes recognized with 2025–26 Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards, the most of any institution in the South Atlantic Conference.
Newberry was also one of just 16 NCAA Division II institutions nationally with more than 200 student-athletes recognized. More than 21,000 student-athletes representing 179 institutions earned the honor nationwide.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for our student-athletes and a testament to the priority Newberry College places on academic excellence,” said Steven Janowiak, Interim Executive Administrator for Athletics. “With 214 student-athletes earning a 3.5 GPA or higher, Newberry ranks No. 1 in the South Atlantic Conference and among the top institutions nationally. It is also exciting to see the SAC recognized as one of the nation’s leading conferences, with nearly 1,600 student-athletes achieving this level of academic success. We are incredibly proud of our Wolves and our staff who support our student athletes for the discipline, commitment and excellence they demonstrate both in competition and in the classroom.”
The recognition reflects the experience Newberry strives to provide its student-athletes: the opportunity to compete at a high level while receiving the personal attention, support and education of a small college community.
The South Atlantic Conference had 1,594 student-athletes recognized, placing it among nine Division II conferences nationwide with more than 1,000 honorees.
To qualify for the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, have completed at least two years of college-level work and have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during the 2025–26 academic year.
At Newberry, the results reinforce a simple idea: Choosing small doesn’t mean thinking small. For Newberry student-athletes, it means having the opportunity and support to go big — academically, athletically and beyond.
View the full release here: https://nacda.com/news/2026/8/26/division-ii-athletics-directors-association-academic-achievement-recipients-announced.aspx
