INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time in school history, the Orange men's track and field team earned the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Rate (APR) public recognition award. Both the men's indoor and outdoor programs have excelled in the classroom to achieve an APR score in the top 10 percent of teams in Division I track and field.

"We've had a really nice track season and have had more BIG EAST Champions that we've had in 15 years here," said head coach Chris Fox. "It shows the kids are doing a good job in the classroom. We're not just focusing on the sport and obviously kids are graduating and doing a good job."

Syracuse is among 28 Division I and three BIG EAST programs to be honored with the prestigious award. It is also one of only three conference teams to receive the accolade in both the indoor and outdoor season.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. High-performing teams receiving public recognition awards this year posted APR scores ranging from 976 to a perfect 1,000.