KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Denver men's soccer team combined for a 3.628 grade point average in 2017-18 to top the Division I men's soccer charts for the third-consecutive year, the United Soccer Coaches' Association announced on Thursday. In the previous two seasons, Denver turned in a 3.619 and a 3.49 to take the top honors.
 
"I'm really proud of my group," head coach Jamie Franks said. "I'm also very thankful for all the support that we have. Without Cindi Nagai and David Kummer in academic support services, there's no way we'd be able to accomplish this feat. I'd like to thank Greg Grauberger from across campus. A lot of our kids are Daniels College of Business kids, and his ability to make sure they are taking the right classes while maximizing their student experience is important to our program. The whole village plays a part. (Former assistant) Ryan Hopkins was here and was super prideful in academics, and now it's Masaki Hemmi. Their contribution from meeting with the student-athletes once a week or every two weeks has been tremendously impactful on our guys. To be able to win as many matches as we have the last three years and have the top GPA in the country is tremendous and is a testament to the student-athletes."
 
Denver's current senior class that has won this award in each of its three years at DU, is currently tied for third in the country in wins with 55 and is second in percentage of points taken with 79.9.
 
A total of 773 soccer teams (289 men, 484 women) across all divisions posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher, thereby earning the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2017-18 academic year.

Of that total, 191 schools had both their men's and women's programs recognized, including Denver, who earned the award for both programs for the 10^th-consecutive season with the women turning in a 3.35 team grade point average in 2017-18.
 
United Soccer Coaches annually celebrates the academic achievements of high school and college soccer programs whose student-athletes collectively demonstrate a commitment to excellence in their studies over the course of a full school year.
 
College Team Academic Award recipients are active members of the United Soccer Coaches College Services Program with a composite grade point of average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for all players on the roster.
 
UP NEXT:
The Pioneers return home to take on Purdue Fort Wayne in Summit League action on Friday night at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT, and the match will be streamed live on Pioneer Vision.      
 
TICKETS:
Single-game tickets for the 2018 Denver men's soccer season are also on sale, and can be purchased here.
 
PIONEER MOVEMENT: Fans interested in making a donation to the men's soccer program can do so by clicking here. Your contribution will make a direct impact on the success of YOUR Pioneers. Thank you in advance for your unwavering support of our student-athletes and their quest for excellence.  
 
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