2020 was undoubtedly a challenging year, but a look back at the year in review reminds us of a number of positive stories from SEMO Athletics despite the cancellation of Spring sports and postponement of the Fall.
Perhaps most notably, 2020 should be remembered for the championship performances both in competition and in the classroom.
In the classroom, Redhawk student-athletes achieved record-setting success. During the Spring 2020 semester, despite the challenges of remote learning, SEMO student-athletes accumulated a 3.53 grade point average this past spring, its highest of any semester in department history. A total of 12 teams achieved a 3.21 or higher GPA in the spring alone, and five different programs registered their highest semester GPA ever.
In December, SEMO Athletics recognized 82 student-athletes who graduated in the Spring, Summer, or Fall 2020 semesters - 37 of which had won an OVC Championship during their time as a student-athlete.
Competitively, the Redhawks were on track to meet their goal of winning the OVC Commissioner's Cup at the conclusion of the 2019-20 school year. The OVC Commissioner’s Cup is the prestigious symbol of overall athletic excellence in Conference-sponsored championships that is awarded annually to one member institution.
At the time the pandemic cancelled the remainder of the spring season, SEMO was sitting comfortably in first place in the standings, but the OVC voted not to award its year-end awards due to the cancellation of the spring sports seasons.
On behalf of SEMO Athletics, Happy New Year. Follow SEMO Athletics on Twitter, now at @SEMORedhawks.