Academic success: A UNM women's soccer tradition
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Within the first day Gwen Maly stepped on the University of New Mexico campus and visited with the Lobo women’s soccer program, she knew it was the place for her.
There was no doubt the soccer program was a great fit for the Lake Forest, Calif., native – but the decisive factor for the aspiring doctor came when speaking with the UNM women’s soccer student-athletes themselves.
“From the time of my first campus visit as a high school student, the players presented themselves as student-athletes, describing their majors and career aspirations,” said Maly, who is entering her sophomore season with a 4.20 cumulative GPA. “When I arrived on campus I was struck by how academic honors and successes were noted and celebrated along with athletic successes. The coaches and players stressed the importance of academics, which really made me feel welcome in the program.”
The UNM women’s soccer program has built a high standard for academic excellence heading into its 25th season – culminating in the Lobos setting a program record with a 3.77 team GPA this past semester. Combine it with a program that’s finished with a .500 or better winning percentage in Mountain West play nine straight seasons, and the Lobos are proving academic achievement and success on the field are far from mutually exclusive.
“There is a culture in Lobo women’s soccer that school comes first,” UNM coach Heather Dyche said. “We recognize as a team and staff that there are no lucrative professional contracts for women’s soccer players. Our number one goal for our players is for them to leave UNM with a degree and experience that allows them to succeed. The student-athletes on this team work incredibly hard on the field and in the classroom and a 3.77 team GPA is something we are all really proud of.”
The Lobos have 14 consecutive semesters of a team GPA of 3.4 or better. Since the program started in 1993, the UNM women’s soccer hasn’t had a team GPA in a semester below 3.02 (which in 1994).
In Dyche’s first two seasons at the helm, the Lobos own a 3.61 team GPA. Overall since the program’s creation 24 years ago, the Lobos owns a 3.37 GPA.
Senior defender Ashley Ballantyne, who is coming off a 4.0 GPA during the spring semester, said much like on the field where you don’t want to let your teammates down by slipping up – the Lobos treat their academics the same way.
Ashley Ballantyne
“We all hold each other to a high standard,” said Ballantyne, who plans to attend nursing school and become a pediatric nurse following her Lobo soccer career. “I know if my grades drop, odds are that the team GPA will drop. One reason we all hold each other accountable is so we can help each other succeed. … It’s very important to me to uphold this tradition of academic success because we as a team are very proud of it.”
Holding one another accountable to a high standard of academic success has worked as 27 student-athletes on the UNM women’s soccer roster own a GPA of 3.5 or above – 16 of those with a GPA above 3.7.
“I am truly grateful that the Lobo coaches, players and athletic department are so encouraging of academic success,” Maly said. “I am very proud of our team’s grade point average. Utilizing the study hall hours at the student support center, studying for tests with teammates and sharing feedback about classes with teammates has been very helpful.”
The Lobos will be active this summer as they host the Lobo Youth Day Camp July 10-13 and the Lobo Summer ID Camp July 15-16 (go to nmsoccercamps.com for more information and to sign up).
UNM opens its season Aug. 18 against San Francisco (7:30 p.m.) and Aug. 20 versus Grand Canyon (10:30 a.m.) during the Lobo Invitational at UNM Soccer Complex. Click here to check out the Lobos’ complete schedule.