It doesn’t matter which sport — Philomath High had a remarkable number of fall athletes achieve significant success in the classroom and not just on soccer or football fields, volleyball courts or cross-country courses.
Philomath’s cross-country teams topped them all in Class 4A with a perfect 4.0 grade point average on the boys’ squad and a 3.99 on the girls’ team. And the boys soccer team not only won the state title on the field, but also in the classroom with a 3.77 that ranked No. 1.
The Oregon School Activities Association includes GPAs on team pages and compiles an academic all-state top 10 in the various sports.
Philomath was one of five schools statewide in boys cross-country to come in with a 4.0 GPA, the others being Grant and Lakeridge in 6A, Churchill in 5A and St. Stephen’s Academy in 1A. In its own classification, Philomath’s nearest academic competitor was North Marion with a 3.92. The runner-up in the Oregon West was Woodburn at No. 5 with a 3.66.
The girls cross-country team’s 3.99 GPA was No. 1 in Class 4A, edging Valley Catholic’s 3.97, Phoenix’s 3.96 and Henley’s 3.92. The closest school from the Oregon West to the Warriors was Cascade at No. 5 with a 3.81.
The boys soccer team’s 3.77 was tops in 4A with Hidden Valley second at 3.68, Baker third at 3.62 and Astoria fourth at 3.60. The next-closest team from the Oregon West behind the Warriors appears to have been Sweet Home’s 3.34.
In football, Philomath competed in Class 3A this fall and the Warriors ranked No. 6 with a 3.27 GPA. Warrenton was tops at 3.63. In the Special District 2 West, Philomath was No. 1 and Amity No. 2 at 3.21. Valley Catholic was No. 1 in Class 4A with a 3.5.
Philomath’s girls soccer team tied for eighth in 4A with a 3.66 GPA. North Valley was No. 1 with a 3.96 and Sweet Home out of the Oregon West was a close second at 3.93.
The volleyball team didn’t make the top 10 but still had a very respectable 3.48 GPA that would be among the highest in most other sports (the No. 10 team in 4A had a 3.71). Mazama was No. 1 with a 3.92. The top Oregon West team was Sisters with a 3.86.
That’s a lot of numbers to go through but the point is, Philomath is seeing a strong connection between athletic participation and academic success. Every one of these fall sports teams had a GPA of at least 3.27.
(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).