PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Vermont State University Castleton has been awarded the Little East Conference (LEC) Presidents' Cup for the 2024-25 academic year, as revealed by LEC Commissioner Al Bean. Castleton's student-athletes concluded the year with a cumulative GPA of 3.40 across the University's 19 athletic teams that participate in conference competition. The official presentation of the Presidents' Cup will take place during the Fall 2025 LEC Presidents Council meeting.
The LEC Presidents' Cup is presented to the institution with the highest cumulative grade point average among student-athletes at the Conference's nine core member schools that compete in its 21 championship sports.
"Congratulations to President David Bergh, Athletic Director Tim Barrett, the entire coaching and support staff, and especially all of the at Vermont State Castleton student-athletes for such an outstanding performance in the classroom," said Bean. "Castleton has consistently performed at a very high academic level since joining the LEC, and I want to commend them for making sure the 'student' in 'student-athlete' is always at the forefront of their institutional priorities. Well done Spartans!"
Since joining the LEC in the 2018-19 academic year, Castleton has now claimed the Presidents' Cup three times. The Spartans first won the award in their debut season and have led the Conference in average GPA in two of the past three academic years.
Of Castleton's 19 athletic programs that compete in the LEC, 18 achieved a team GPA of at least 3.00. Sixteen teams posted a GPA of 3.20 or higher, including nine squads that surpassed a 3.50 GPA. The women's soccer team led the department with a 3.78 average GPA, while men's cross country topped the men's programs at 3.72.
"I am thrilled that VTSU-Castleton athletics has received the LEC President's Cup for the third time since joining the conference," said Vermont State University President David G. Bergh, Ed.D. "This is a particularly meaningful award, as athletes being recognized for their scholarship is the ultimate measure of what being a true student-athlete represents. My congratulations to our students, coaches, and athletics staff."
Castleton's Director of Athletics Tim Barrett added, "I am extremely proud of our student-athletes for winning the LEC Presidents' Cup. This award is a culmination of the dedication to academics put forth by our student-athletes, coaches and faculty."
For the fourth time in the award's history, all nine LEC member institutions finished the academic year with a department GPA above 3.00. The other three instances occurred between the 2019 and 2022 academic years. Eight of the nine schools have consistently achieved a department GPA of at least 3.00 over the past few years.
2024-25 LEC Presidents' Cup Final Rankings
- Vermont State Castleton – 3.40
- Plymouth State – 3.38
- Southern Maine – 3.31
- Eastern Connecticut – 3.30
- UMass Boston – 3.29
- Keene State – 3.26
- UMass Dartmouth – 3.24
- Rhode Island College – 3.11
- Western Connecticut – 3.01
