INDIANAPOLIS (5/1/2019) -- The University of Detroit Mercy has been lauded for its academic excellence again as the men's and women's fencing programs received NCAA Public Recognition Awards on Wednesday.

Both programs were in the top 10% of their sports in the most recent Academic Progress Rate results and are two of just 23 Division I programs in the state of Michigan to receive the honor for the 2017-18 academic year.

"I'm really proud of my teams, proud that they embody the student-athlete model that we're all proud of and that they are students first as well as competitive athletes as part of their college experience," head coach Todd Dressell said. "For me, nothing is more important."

For the men, it marked the 14th-straight year the Titans have earned the accolade as they are one of just 73 teams across the country to receive the honor all 14 years of the award's existence. 

The women were honored for the sixth time and the first since 2012-13. 

The NCAA has recognized more than 1,300 programs from 321 schools for academic excellence after they scored in the top 10% of their sports in the most recent Academic Progress Rate results.

The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams.

Largely as a result of an increase in perfect scores, teams earning Public Recognition Awards increased to 1,328, up by 44 from the previous academic year. APRs for programs in the top 10% ranged from 987 to a perfect 1,000, and the number of teams posting perfect scores increased to 1,214, marking an increase of 26 teams from last year.

Of the teams recognized, 471 competed in men's or mixed sports, and 857 competed in women's sports.

"Congratulations to the programs earning Public Recognition Awards for their commitment to academic success," NCAA President Mark Emmert said. "The number of perfect scores this year is an indication that schools and student-athletes are setting high bars for achievement, and we are proud that they are continuing to succeed academically as well as athletically."

While many NCAA championships for the current academic year have yet to take place, four national championship teams from this year have earned Public Recognition Awards: Clemson football (Football Bowl Subdivision); Columbia fencing; Oklahoma women's gymnastics; and Penn State wrestling.

APR scores for all Division I teams will be released May 8. The APR measures eligibility, graduation and retention each semester or academic term and provides a clear picture of the ongoing academic performance for each team in every sport. All teams must meet an academic threshold of 930 to qualify for the postseason and can face penalties for continued low academic performance.

The most recent APRs are multiyear rates based on scores from the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years.

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