Griz earn Team Academic Award

The Montana soccer program has earned another Team Academic Award from the United Soccer Coaches, the organization announced recently.

It marks the 11th time in program history the Grizzlies have been honored and the ninth time in the last 10 years, with only an administrative error keeping the streak from being 10 straight.

Montana was one of 989 college teams across all divisions to earn the Team Academic Award, which was awarded to programs that had at least a 3.0 team GPA over the 2018-19 fall and spring semesters.

The Grizzlies had a 3.30 GPA for the 2018 fall semester, their first under coach Chris Citowicki, when Montana won the Big Sky Conference tournament and had its season extended by a week in order to make its fourth trip to the NCAA tournament.

The team had a robust 3.61 GPA in the spring.

"It's something we expect to get every year, but it can be hard, especially in the fall when we travel so much. Kudos to the kids for getting it done," said Citowicki.

"The number of players who are attempting double majors and still getting high grades while performing at a championship level is amazing. I'm very happy with them."

Citowicki inherited a program that was on solid footing academically. The Grizzlies earned the Team Academic Award every year between 2010 and '17.

When he was hired in May 2018, Montana had just completed its 10th consecutive semester with a term GPA of 3.3 or better.

To keep it going -- the team's 3.61 in the spring matched the best GPA in program history -- Citowicki has had to return to his roots: St. Catherine University in St. Paul, where he coached from 2011-16.

With no athletic scholarships to work with and coaching at a school that has a tuition north of $40,000, Citowicki had to keep players' academic resumes at the forefront when out looking for future Wildcats.

The better academic aid package his potential players might receive, the better chance he had of signing them. It's a recruiting mindset that's never left him.

"It's the Division III mentality, which I like. At St. Kate's, you had to recruit high-level academic kids to get the academic scholarships they needed just to be able to come to your very expensive private school," said Citowicki.

"I just love being surrounded by smart kids. It's one less thing I have to worry about every single day. I never have to wonder if someone is going to class today. Of course she is. She's been doing it her whole life. This is what they do. They achieve academically. By the way, she is also a very good soccer player."

Citowicki and his band of very smart kids, who also happen to be very good soccer players, sit atop the Big Sky Conference standings through two of five weeks of league matches.

Montana (4-5-3, 3-0-0 BSC) faces an important road match on Friday night at Northern Arizona (5-5-2, 1-1-1 BSC). The Grizzlies' road trip will conclude with a match at Southern Utah on Sunday afternoon.

University of Montana Athletics

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