ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine placed second for the third consecutive year in the 2024-25 Walter Harrison Academic Cup standings with an institutional grade point average (GPA) of 3.51, as announced by the America East conference on Wednesday.

Maine was the only school to have three programs earn at least a 3.70 GPA with field hockey (3.73), men's cross country (3.72) and women's soccer (3.71) – with all three ranking in the top-10 overall program GPA standings in the conference.
 
Four Black Bear programs were crowned as individual sport GPA champions for the 2024-25 school year in women's basketball (3.69), men's cross country (3.72), field hockey and softball (3.66). This marks the fifth consecutive year that field hockey has earned the individual team title, the fourth consecutive for men's cross country, the third straight for softball and the second straight for women's basketball.
 
The Black Bears finished just 0.03 points shy of the Academic Cup Champions Vermont (3.54 GPA).

All nine America East institutions averaged at least a 3.35 GPA, marking the first time in league history all league schools have earned at least a 3.30. It is also the 20th consecutive year America East student-athletes have averaged better than a 3.0 GPA.

The Academic Cup, established by the America East Board of Directors in 1995, is presented to the institution whose student-athletes post the highest grade-point average during that academic year. The award was named for long time University of Hartford President Walter Harrison last year.

-UMaine-