In the pool, Emily Lundgren rewrote the record book as a member of the Washington State University Swimming Team. She broke numerous individual and team records during her exemplary tenure, including setting a new high bar for the 100-meter breaststroke each of her four years on the team.
On dry land, she took the academic side of being a student-athlete equally seriously.
A three-time Academic All American, Lundgren recently graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, earning a bachelor’s degree in digital technology and culture. That commitment to academics led to her being named a Top Ten Senior for 2026, as well as the senior speaker at this year’s Senior Recognition Luncheon.
“I‘ve always prioritized academics alongside athletics, and so I knew coming into college, I wanted to do best I could,” Lundgren said. “I never expected a 4.0, but after I did it my freshman year, it became a real goal.”
Student-athletes set a new record-high for average GPA this semester at 3.44, with 59 earning a 4.0.
It was an exceptional spring semester for Lundgren and her fellow student athletes. During a recent Board of Regents meeting, Athletics Director Jon Haarlow shared that student-athletes set a new record-high for average GPA this semester at 3.44, with 59 earning a 4.0.
“That’s a pretty incredible job by our student athletes and by our academic group,” Haarlow told regents.
Keeping up the grades
Owen Eshelman had a solid academic foundation heading into his first year at WSU, developing successful study habits while taking advanced placement courses in high school.
He concluded his second semester in Pullman with a perfect GPA as a mechanical engineering student and member of the WSU Football Team.
“Aria, the academic advisory for the football team, does an absolutely amazing job helping all of us stay on top of her schedules and making sure we have the tools we need to succeed,” Eshelman said.
Having to spend six hours each week at WSU Athletic’s Champions Center also added structure to Eshelman’s schedule that helped keep him on top of his coursework.
As the demands on student-athletes’ time have increased, academic services staff within the Athletics Department have stepped up to make things flow as smoothly as possible, said Heather Erwin, associate director of athletics, academic services and student-athlete development.
“We’re making sure their schedules flow so they have time and access to all the resources they need, from nutrition to athletic training to tutoring and academic advising,” she said.
Setting the tone
In the era of the transfer portal and the accelerated coaching carousel, the makeup of a given team can change tremendously year-to-year. Coming out of high school, Eshelman had one scholarship offer to play for Jimmy Rogers at South Dakota State. When Rogers took the top job at WSU, Eshelman followed.
The Norman, Oklahoma native opted to stay in Pullman following Rogers’ departure. The tone being set by first-year coach Kirby Moore underscored Eshelman’s decision as the right one.
“What’s really impressed me is this new coaching staff and how they approach everything off the field,” Eshelman said. “They’re not treating academics like a chore, academic success is the expectation, this is who we are, no exceptions.”
Chris Citowicki brought a similar expectation around success both on and off the field when he arrived as the new Head Women’s Soccer Coach in December.
While women’s soccer doesn’t compete in the spring, they still maintain a grueling schedule of team workouts and practices at a time when sunshine and hospitable weather are in short supply. It’s also when many soccer players take extra classes to reduce their workload in the fall when they’ll be traveling.
“I always have wanted to have the highest team GPA in the athletics department since I’ve been coaching at the division three level,” he said. “My first reaction to getting this spring’s academic report was to celebrate the team’s accomplishment. My second reaction was t see how we ranked, then looking at GPAs to see who we can help, but overall, I couldn’t be prouder of our team.”
Women’s soccer earned a team GPA of 3.65, the highest-ever average for the team, Women’s rowing and football also set new benchmarks for average team GPA this semester, at 3.62 and 3.19, respectively. Women’s tennis took the top spot among WSU teams this semester, earning a 3.78 average GPA, followed by women’s basketball and women’s golf at 3.74.
