RINDGE, N.H. (June 7, 2016) – A total of 233 student-athletes in the Franklin Pierce University Department of Athletics have been named to the 2016 spring semester edition of the Athletic Department Honor Roll, as announced Tuesday. The number represents an increase of eight student-athletes from the fall semester. In addition, 12 student-athletes garnered perfect, 4.0 grade-point averages. In all, 16 of the University's 25 varsity squads eclipsed the 3.0 mark.

To earn selection to the Athletic Department Honor Roll, a student-athlete must post a grade-point average of 3.30 or better during a given semester. The award's criteria are in line with various Northeast-10 Conference and national academic awards programs.

The 12 student-athletes who earned perfect 4.0 GPAs in the fall represented 10 different programs: men's track & field's Ryan Dionne and Mitchel McNanna; women's ice hockey's Sara Diltz and Samantha Bureau (who was the Class of 2016's valedictorian); baseball's Andrew Barnes; sprint football's Taylor DeForge; bowling's Colleen Kelly; rowing's Kyra Fairley; field hockey's Chelsey Burnell; women's golf's Taylor Schmidt; women's lacrosse's Nicole Dale; and women's soccer's Sariye Demirgioglu.

Ultimately, 15 of the Department's 25 programs had 10 or more student-athletes qualify for the Athletic Department Honor Roll: men's lacrosse (20), field hockey (15), men's ice hockey (15), women's ice hockey (15), men's cross country (14), softball (14), men's soccer (13), women's soccer (13), women's indoor and outdoor track & field (13), baseball (12), women's cross country (12), sprint football (12) and men's indoor and outdoor track & field (10).

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).