SPOKANE, Wash. (July 18) ­ For the second year in a row Seattle Pacific University is the winner of the 2004-05 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic All-Sports award.

The Falcons, who posted the best team grade point average (GPA) in the conference in four sports (men's soccer, men's basketball, women's soccer and women's basketball) finished with a total of 135 points to edge Seattle University by four points for the top spot.

SPU also won the men's title for the fourth consecutive year. Northwest Nazarene won the women's title for the second year in a row while Seattle Pacific finished fourth. The Falcons had finished second to Western Washington for the GNAC All-Sports award.

"It's a distinct honor for Seattle Pacific University to receive its second GNAC All-Sports Academic award," Dr. Philip Eaton, SPU president, said. "I am so very impressed and pleased with the academic performance and character of our students.

"Our student-athletes can be proud to be the first to receive this award in consecutive years. They have distinguished themselves in a way that positively represents the University's vision to engage the culture and change the world."

"What great news to hear we had won the GNAC Academic All-Sports award the same day we learned a third Falcon athlete (track and field standout Paul Mach) had been awarded a 2005 NCAA post-graduate scholarship," SPU athletic director Tom Box said. "As athletic administrators we love to win awards, but as educators it's especially satisfying to honor outstanding scholarship. I commend our student-athletes and the SPU faculty for this significant achievement."

Points are awarded in each of the conference's sports based on the cumulative grade point averages of all the athletes on the official team roster to determine the winner of the Academic All-Sports award.

Seattle Pacific's women's basketball and soccer teams were the only two squads to sweep both the conference title and the academic crown.

Individual sport winners included:

Men: Football ­ Western Washington 2.66. Cross Country ­ Alaska Fairbanks 3.38. Soccer ­ Seattle Pacific 3.20. Basketball ­ Seattle Pacific 3.10. Baseball ­ Saint Martin's 3.09. Track-and-Field ­ Saint Martin's 3.24.

Women: Volleyball ­ Northwest Nazarene 3.38. Cross Country ­ Northwest Nazarene 3.50. Soccer ­ Seattle Pacific 3.49. Basketball ­ Seattle Pacific 3.49. Softball ­ Saint Martin's and Seattle University 3.37. Track and Field ­ Saint Martin's 3.43.