MEADVILLE, Pa. - On Saturday, at Allegheny's 197th Commencement ceremony, senior Abby Sorensen was named class valedictorian. Sorensen, who was a two-time Doane Scholar and three-time Distinguished Alden Scholar, graduated with a degree in women's studies and a minor in political science while carrying a 3.95 cumulative grade-point average.

The day before giving her commencement speech, Sorensen played a key role in helping the women's golf team secure its fifth consecutive top-10 finish at the NCAA Division III Championships. The Gators finished in a tie for ninth, while extending its national record as the first golf program across any NCAA division to qualify for the national championships its first seven years as a varsity sport.

“I can say without hesitation that my teammates were the single best part of my Allegheny experience, and without them, I would not have been able to succeed in the classroom,” said Sorensen.

It would be nice to think that – for once – a student-athlete was able to dispel the pervasive stereotype that athletics impedes academic performance. The problem is that, at least for students at Allegheny College, Sorensen's academic achievement is becoming commonplace for the Tier 1 liberal arts college with a rich athletic history.

Sorensen's honor marked the third time in four years that Allegheny's class valedictorian has been a dedicated member of a varsity sports team. In 2010, Monica Schaffer, who was a two-time All-Region standout in women's soccer, earned the coveted accolade, while men's basketball player Adam Simbeck was named valedictorian in 2009. Since 1986, 10 Allegheny student-athletes have been awarded the prestigious academic title.

“I was one of about 300 students admitted to Penn State's Schreyer Honors College,” added Sorensen. “Once I got there, it took me only about a month to realize I was missing something being at a big, public school, and the biggest thing I missed was being part of a team. I've been playing team sports for over 15 years, and I knew I needed that bond to help me be successful academically. The women's golf team was the biggest factor in my decision to come to Allegheny. I distinctly remember the literal and figurative feeling of relief when the Allegheny golf team welcomed me with open arms.”

It's no surprise that competing at a quality academic Division III institution that cares equally for its academics and athletics embodies the purest example of being a college student-athlete. College's like Allegheny place the highest priority on the overall educational experience; athletics is a complement to academics and overall residential experience.

“One of the most common questions we are asked by recruits is about time management and balancing sports with academics. My answer is that we are always better academically when we are in season because golf gives us great structure, and traveling and practicing gives us a fixed routine that makes it almost impossible to procrastinate. I'm sure this would surprise some of my professors, but I never once felt like I had to push golf aside for academics. I never felt guilty going to the golf course to practice when I had a busy workload waiting back on campus, because golf gave me the mental break from classes that I needed to keep going, and then classes gave me the mental break from golf that I needed to keep swinging.”

While Sorensen's experience isn't true in all cases, the reality is that many of the nation's top students are also outstanding student-athletes. Last year, Stanford University (Division I) and Williams College (Division III), two academic institutions of significant prominence, finished as the top athletic programs in their respective NCAA divisions. At Allegheny, 15 of the school's 21 athletic teams boasted a GPA above 3.0 in 2011-12, while the average GPA of the College's student-athletes was higher than the general student population.

“Overall, it hasn't really sunk in to me what it means to be the 2012 valedictorian, but it has hit me that our team accomplished an incredible thing by placing in the top ten at Nationals. I hope all the great things that have happened for the women's golf team in the past few weeks are remembered as a truly great reflection of what it means to be student-athletes at Allegheny.”