Over 150 Gopher student-athletes earned a spot on the spring Academic All-Big Ten team, according to a press release on June 12. 

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten honors, a student-athlete must enroll full-time for 12 months at their University, be on the varsity team and carry a cumulative GPA above a 3.0.

Taylor Kreitinger, one of the University of Minnesota’s 4.0 track and field athletes, said the team prioritizes academics. 

“It’s always stressed that academics is our number one and obviously we are an athlete after that,” Kreitinger said.

Kreitinger added the team’s focus on school work makes her feel as though every teammate is an academic role model. 

Isaiah Schafer, another track and field athlete with a 4.0 GPA, said he had no issue balancing his time.

“In high school being in sports and having the school part kind of instills that discipline in you to manage your time well,” Schafer said. “Once I transitioned to college it was pretty smooth for me.”

To help Gophers maintain a high GPA, the University provides its student-athletes with tutors through the Lindahl Academic Center.

According to Lindahl’s website, some of its goals for student-athletes are to develop and maintain a high level of ­motivation and self-discipline and set appropriate academic goals.

Lindahl Director JT Bruett said the Academic Center also helps student-athletes with their future endeavors by providing advisors. 

“We work really closely with the college advisor that every student has on campus to map out progress with degrees, what classes they should take and assist with choosing a major,” Bruett said. 

Lindahl employed over 50 tutors for student-athletes to access, according to Bruett. The football team utilized the Lindahl Center the most due to the size of the team.