INDIANAPOLIS - University of Dayton Athletics has consistently been one of the top academic performers in the nation. Tuesday's release of the latest NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) report continues that tradition.

Of the Flyers' 17 teams, 13 had an APR score of 985 or higher (out of a perfect score of 1,000), well above the national average of 974: women's basketball, men's cross country, women's cross country, men's golf, women's golf, women's rowing, women's tennis, women's volleyball, women's track and field – indoor and outdoor, women's soccer,  men's basketball and football.

Additionally, eight Flyer teams earned perfect APR scores in the latest report and have the top APR in their sport in their respective conferences: UD men's and women's golf, women's basketball, volleyball, men's cross country, women's cross country, women's rowing and women's tennis, while two more – men's basketball and football – have the second best.

UD women's basketball was the only squad in the Atlantic 10 to earn a perfect 1,000 APR score. They were only one of 17 schools in the nation to earn a perfect 1,000 APR score for women's basketball, and UD was one of only three schools (Stanford and Wisconsin-Green Bay were the others) to finish in the Top 25 rankings and have a 1,000 APR score.
 

UD women's volleyball was one of three schools in the Atlantic 10 to earn a perfect 1,000 APR score (La Salle and Xavier were the others). They also joined Stanford, Creighton, Purdue, Ohio State, Texas, Western Kentucky and Wichita State as schools who earned a perfect 1,000 APR score and finished the season in the Top 25.
 

UD men's basketball ranked second in the Atlantic 10 with a 985 APR score. They were also tied for 39th in the nation for top APR scores.
 

Football ranked second in the Pioneer Football League with a 992 APR score. That score ranked fifth behind Northwestern, Davidson, Yale and Boise State in all of Division I football (FBS and FCS).

Last Wednesday, nine University of Dayton athletics programs received 2012 APR Public Recognition Awards. The NCAA honors these Division I sports teams that are ranked in the Top 10 percent of the latest multi-year APR scores. The Flyer teams honored were football, men's cross country, men's golf, women's basketball, women's cross country, women's golf, women's rowing, women's tennis and women's volleyball.
 

According to the most recent figures, the latest four-year NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate is 974, up one point over last year. Only two of UD's 17 teams are below the APR national average in their respective sport.
 

NCAA President Mark Emmert noted that 10 years after its creation, the APR continues to encourage student-athletes to succeed in the classroom and campuses to support them in their education.
 

"These are strong and meaningful academic standards, and we are pleased to witness the continued improvement of student-athletes' academic performance," Emmert said. "The NCAA and its member schools believe in supporting success both on and off the playing field. As educators, we must continue to embrace our role in providing the necessary skills to continue this high achievement."

Every Division I sports team calculates its APR each academic year, based on the eligibility and retention of each scholarship student-athlete. Teams scoring below certain thresholds can face sanctions, such as scholarship losses and restrictions on practice. Rates are based on the past four years' performance.

The most recent APR scores are multi-year rates based on the scores from the 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years.

APR scores per institution, along with penalties per school and teams receiving public recognition, are available online through the NCAA's searchable database.