Saints bring home 2015/2016 NWAC President’s Cup

Mt. Hood Community College has won the NWAC President’s Cup for the second time in three years – an award given to the school based on academic performance in the Northwest Athletic Conference’s large school division, schools that offer eight or more sports.

Points are awarded for student-athletes who complete 36 credits, 72 credits, and complete a certificate or a degree. Their GPA determines how many points are awarded.

The award was announced on Oct. 24.

Kim Hyatt, MHCC athletic director, said both Saints athletes and employees deserve credit for the honor.

“We are very proud of our student athletes, coaching staff, and all of the faculty and staff that have worked so hard to earn this award,” Hyatt said. “Our coaches have really done an outstanding job of establishing a standard to our students that education is our top priority and our student athletes have committed themselves to working hard to maintain the level of excellence we expect of them in the classroom.

“This is truly a team effort by everyone involved,” Hyatt continued.

“Our coaching staff has done an extraordinary job of not only identifying outstanding student athletes to recruit to Mt. Hood, but students who are invested in their academic success, as well,” she said. “We also have fantastic faculty and staff throughout the college who are very dedicated to our students and want to see them succeed.”

Hyatt credited academic advisers who “have done a tremendous job of guiding our students to degree completion” and “a super job” by staff at the Learning Success Center to help them achieve in the classroom.

Hyatt noted the stiff competition around the NWAC to win the award and said MHCC Athletics will “keep striving to achieve this level of success as a department.

“We always want the best for our students at Mt. Hood, so to expect less would not be giving them our best effort,” she said.