LA MIRADA, Calif. --- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced its 2009-10 Scholar Teams on Tuesday and Biola University led the way as 16 of its 19 athletic teams earned the honor with a 3.0 team GPA or better. It was the second consecutive season that the Eagles had 16 teams represented.

The NAIA recognized a record 857 teams from across the country with a 3.0 team GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale. The team grade point average must include all varsity student-athletes certified as eligible. Biola and Hastings College (Neb.) shared the top honor with 16 teams represented. It was the second year both teams had 16 teams earn scholar-team honors.

"We are once again impressed with the academic performance of our student-athletes," said Biola Athletic Director Dave Holmquist. "Biola has a strong academic tradition with rigorous requirements found at few other schools. For us to have two consecutive years with 16 teams represented is remarkable."

Biola's women's soccer team and the women's cross country team each led the way with an impressive 3.55 team GPA, followed by women's outdoor track and field (3.52), women's indoor track and field (3.51) and men's tennis (3.50).

"I am proud of the girls and this team accomplishment," said Women's Soccer coach Todd Elkins. "They realize that they are at Biola to get an education and are taking advantage of that. They are doing well meeting their academic challenges and their athletics goals and we are very proud of them."

Biola's other scholar teams were women's basketball (3.41), women's tennis (3.39), volleyball (3.39), women's swimming (3.37), men's cross country (3.36), men's outdoor track and field (3.31), men's indoor track and field (3.27), men's basketball (3.18), men's swimming (3.13), men's golf (3.13) and women's softball (3.00).

Biola's 16 teams were the most of any GSAC institution as well with Azusa Pacific University having 12 teams, Vanguard University with 11, Point Loma Nazarene University with 10, The Master's College with 7, California Baptist University with six and Westmont College with four.

Women's basketball had the most teams represented across the NAIA with 78 teams earning the honor while the Iowa Wesleyan volleyball team was named the 2009-10 Scholar-Team of the Year with a team GPA of 3.82.

Biola had 49 NAIA Scholar-Athletes this year, among the most in school history. The honor is given to student-athletes who have a cumulative 3.5 GPA and have acheived either junior or senior status. Women's soccer had the most with six scholar-athletes while men's track and field, women's basketball, women's track and field and volleyball each had five.

Click here to view the full NAIA scholar-team release.