Five Northeastern University athletic teams were honored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for earning Public Recognition Awards, the NCAA announced Thursday. The awards, which recognize high academic achievement, are part of the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR) program and are given to teams scoring in the top 10 percent nationally in the APR in their respective sport.

This marks the third consecutive year that at least four Northeastern teams earned Public Recognition Awards. The squads recognized by the NCAA this year were field hockey, men's cross country, men's soccer, women's ice hockey, and women's rowing. Northeastern led all Colonial Athletic Association peers in the number of teams recognized, and the five awards set a new single-year high for the department.

The NCAA recognition comes on the heels of another sterling semester in the classroom, as 101 Northeastern student-athletes were named to the Dean's List en route to a cumulative 3.179 grade point average. Forty-three student-athletes were named Top Dogs (GPA of 3.8 or higher), including 14 who registered a perfect 4.0 and 11 more with a 3.9.

"We are extremely proud of the academic accomplishments of our student-athletes and, in particular, the five teams that have been recognized by the NCAA with this prestigious award," said Director of Athletics and Recreation Peter Roby. "To have five teams recognized—and 13 teams over a three-year span—speaks to the dedication of our students, and to the commitment by our coaches and staff to the academic success of our student-athletes."

In the seven years of the NCAA's academic reform program, Northeastern teams have earned 15 Public Recognition Awards, including an impressive 13 in the last three years. Those teams are: baseball (2004-05), men's cross country (2008-09, 2010-11), field hockey (2010-11), football (2008-09), women's ice hockey (2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11), men's indoor track (2009-10), men's outdoor track (2009-10), women's rowing (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11), and men's soccer (2010-11).

In a release announcing the awards, the NCAA said top-performing teams this year posted APR scores ranging from 978 to a perfect 1000.

"These teams prove that it is possible to not only balance academic and athletic commitment, as most student-athletes do; but to exceed standards and post outstanding academic scores," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in the release. "The drive and determination shown in the classroom and on the field by these men and women represent what it means to be an NCAA student-athlete."

The 954 teams publicly recognized this year for high achievement represent 560 women's teams and 394 men's or mixed squads.

Using the APR, which provides an annual scorecard of academic achievement, the NCAA tracks the classroom performance of student-athletes on every Division I sports team. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years.