The Carolina Academic Excellence Award, which is housed in the Loudermilk Center.
Men's Fencing, Women's Golf Honored With Academic Excellence Award
August 11, 2021 | Women's Golf, Fencing, Academics
Each year, Carolina Athletics honors two varsity squads – one men's team and one women's team – with the Carolina Academic Excellence Award, recognizing the most outstanding academic performance over the previous school year.
With the 2020-21 academic year, the men's fencing team made it four-for-four and has won the award in each year of its existence.
After women's cross country won the first two years, two new Tar Heel teams have been honored in the past two years: women's tennis in 2019-20 and now women's golf for 2020-21.
Honored teams have their names added to a trophy in the Loudermilk Center and also receive an Old Well trophy to keep through the following year. Winners are honored at a dinner set to take place in the fall semester.
"Congratulations to these teams for their superb performance both on and off the field," said Daniel Rupp, a UNC graduate whose donation founded the annual recognition. "To excel in the classroom while balancing athletics, and especially to do so during a global pandemic, is cause for recognition and celebration."
The men's fencing team compiled a 3.655 cumulative grade point average in 2020-21 and at the same time was part of UNC's highest-ever NCAA finish. The Tar Heels were sixth at the 2021 NCAA Championships, with All-America performances by Beni Rabinowitz and Alec Mulvaney, both of whom also earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Team honors. Rabinowitz was recognized as the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's fencing and is the first Tar Heel to win that award.
The women's golf team compiled a 3.794 cumulative GPA in 2020-21 and won the Carolina Academic Excellence Award for the first time. Two Tar Heels, Nicole Adam and Jennifer Zhou, were named to the 2021 All-ACC Academic Team. Zhou, a junior, led the team in stroke average and currently has the lowest career average in program history at 73.63. Adam, a freshman, earned an individual entry for the NCAA Columbus Regional.
Carolina Academic Team Excellence Award winners
2017-18: Men's Fencing and Women's Cross Country
2018-19: Men's Fencing and Women's Cross Country
2019-20: Men's Fencing and Women's Tennis
2020-21: Men's Fencing and Women's Golf
With the 2020-21 academic year, the men's fencing team made it four-for-four and has won the award in each year of its existence.
After women's cross country won the first two years, two new Tar Heel teams have been honored in the past two years: women's tennis in 2019-20 and now women's golf for 2020-21.
Honored teams have their names added to a trophy in the Loudermilk Center and also receive an Old Well trophy to keep through the following year. Winners are honored at a dinner set to take place in the fall semester.
"Congratulations to these teams for their superb performance both on and off the field," said Daniel Rupp, a UNC graduate whose donation founded the annual recognition. "To excel in the classroom while balancing athletics, and especially to do so during a global pandemic, is cause for recognition and celebration."
The men's fencing team compiled a 3.655 cumulative grade point average in 2020-21 and at the same time was part of UNC's highest-ever NCAA finish. The Tar Heels were sixth at the 2021 NCAA Championships, with All-America performances by Beni Rabinowitz and Alec Mulvaney, both of whom also earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Team honors. Rabinowitz was recognized as the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's fencing and is the first Tar Heel to win that award.
The women's golf team compiled a 3.794 cumulative GPA in 2020-21 and won the Carolina Academic Excellence Award for the first time. Two Tar Heels, Nicole Adam and Jennifer Zhou, were named to the 2021 All-ACC Academic Team. Zhou, a junior, led the team in stroke average and currently has the lowest career average in program history at 73.63. Adam, a freshman, earned an individual entry for the NCAA Columbus Regional.
Carolina Academic Team Excellence Award winners
2017-18: Men's Fencing and Women's Cross Country
2018-19: Men's Fencing and Women's Cross Country
2019-20: Men's Fencing and Women's Tennis
2020-21: Men's Fencing and Women's Golf
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
Sabre/Right Hand
/ Fencing
Sabre/Right Hand
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