CHANDLER, Ariz. - For the 13th year in a row, Appalachian State University field hockey was named a ZAG Field Hockey/NFHCA Division I National Academic Team Award recipient. Individually, eight student-athletes were on the National Academic Squad and Abbie Roberts was a part of some elite company.

The top five teams by GPA were American (3.65), Quinnipiac (3.61), Harvard (3.58), Bucknell (3.55), and Bryant (3.54). The Mountaineers made the cut with a fall GPA of 3.08.

"I am happy the team was able to maintain the academic excellence that this program has come to expect over the years," said head coach Meghan Dawson. "We want to keep pushing the envelope on and off the field to exceed expectations. Our goal is to develop successful young women who excel in the classroom and on the field."

App State was one of 68 Division I programs to receive the honor. In order to do so, a team needed to post at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA during the first semester of the 2015-16 academic year.

For the individuals list, those who made the list with at least a 3.30 GPA during the first semester were Anna Copsey, Hanna French, Sam Fuerstenberg, Sarah Heiss, Rebecca McLean, Marissa O'Brien, Roberts, and Savanna Sheridan. Copsey and French were both designated as four-year award recipients.

Roberts was also one of 80 student-athletes in all of Division I to be named a Scholar of Distinction as she achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 3.90 through the fall semester. The Avondale, Pa., native earned this honor as a freshman as well.