The Bluffton University football team is making strides in the classroom as well as on the field. Of the 24 seniors recruited by head coach Tyson Veidt four years ago, 100 percent are scheduled to graduate on time in May, more than 60 percent with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better.

Juniors Thomas Gingrich from Goshen, Ind., and Ryan Sabin from Canal Winchester were recognized last fall as HCAC All-Academic for the second consecutive year. To be named HCAC All-Academic, a student-athlete must have completed a full year at the institution, be a varsity athlete and carry a minimum GPA of at least 3.50 through the semester preceding the end of the season.

Overall, 42 student-athletes, more than a third of the football team, finished the fall semester with a GPA above 3.0.

On the field in 2011, Bluffton finished 5-5 overall and 5-3 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference for a share of second place in the conference.