PHILADELPHIA – Nearly 100 student-athletes participated in La Salle University's Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 20 at McCarthy Stadium. A total of 1,765 La Salle students from 29 states and the District of Columbia, as well as 28 countries, became La Salle graduates, with several thousand of their families and friends looking on. There were 33 doctorates being awarded, along with 723 master's degrees, 975 bachelor's degrees, and 34 associate's degrees.

Student-athlete graduates gathered for a picture prior to graduation on Sunday, wearing their "Student-Athlete" sashes.

Senior swimmer Emily Heath received the award for being the top mathematics major and recording the highest GPA by a student-athlete.

Congratulations to all graduates from La Salle Athletics.

Did you know?

-Two soccer players earned Academic or Scholar All-America recognition this fall.

-14 were named to Academic All-Atlantic 10 teams, while eight were honored on the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area teams.

-Five more student-athletes received Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.

-The La Salle women's soccer team posted the top GPA by a women's team (3.49) while the men's tennis and baseball teams had the highest GPA (3.22) by a men's team during the fall semester.

-La Salle student-athletes also had higher GPAs than the student body as a whole.

-Over 175 student-athletes had GPAs of 3.25 or above.

-The Explorers graduation success rate (GSR) of is higher than the Division I national average of and the federal graduation rate of student-athletes exceeds that of La Salle students.

- La Salle had the second most members of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll

2011-12 Academic Awards

CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-America
Nick Dundon (Men's Soccer)

NSCAA Scholar All-America
Melissa Sanger (Women's Soccer)

CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District
Nick Dundon (Men's Soccer), Melissa Sanger (Women's Soccer), Jourdan McVicker (Women's Soccer), Pat Christensen (Baseball), Adam Kammler (Baseball)

Academic All-Atlantic 10
Nick Dundon (Men's Soccer), Melissa Sanger (Women's Soccer), Jourdan McVicker (Women's Soccer), Renee Washington (Women's Soccer), Diana Allen (Women's Soccer), Rebecca Chylack (Field Hockey), Janel Paukovits (Field Hockey), Lindsay Fry (Field Hockey), Alfredo Santana (Men's Cross Country), Stephanie Bearish (Women's Cross Country), Wendy Hutchinson (Women's Cross Country), Blase Szyszko (Men's Swimming), Melanie Sarcinello (Women's Lacrosse), Jackie Roebuck (Women's Lacrosse)

Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area
Nick Dundon (Men's Soccer), Melissa Sanger (Women's Soccer), Jourdan McVicker (Women's Soccer), Becca Chylack (Field Hockey), Janel Paukovits (Field Hockey), Blase Szyszko (Men's Swimming), Eric Patenaude (Men's Swimming), Laurie McLaughlin (Women's Swimming & Diving),

NSCAA Team Academic Award
La Salle Women's Soccer

Top La Salle Team GPA - Fall Semester (women)
Women's Soccer (3.49)

Top La Salle Team GPA - Fall Semester (men)
Men's Tennis (3.22), Baseball (3.22)