University of Hawai`i HIlo student-athletes along with NCAA and high school student-athletes across the country can celebrate National Student-Athlete Day on Tuesday, April 6.

The day is designed to honor student-athletes who have competed on the courts and field, have maintained at least a 3.0 grade point average in the classroom and contributed to their schools and communities in significant ways. 

That would include nearly every member of the Vulcan athletic department. Through the 2020 Fall semester, UH Hilo student-athletes had an accumulative average GPA of 3.197. Every Vulcan team was just about at 3.0 or much higher.

The movement was founded in 1987 by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports. In a normal non-pandemic year, nearly eight million high school students participate in athletics and over 500,000 compete at the NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and junior college levels.

"This past year has been especially challenging for our student-athletes," said Vulcan athletic director Patrick Guillen. "Their resolve, resilience and commitment to do whatever it takes to navigate COVID head on to practice, play and compete has been nothing short of amazing. I couldn't be prouder of all that they have accomplished on the field, classrooms and in our community."