Sports Briefs

Five straight national titles for 4x400 relay
Baylor's 4x400-meter relay team matched its own NCAA record by claiming its fifth straight national title at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March. The Bears won the event at the indoor and outdoor championships in 2007 and 2008; Baylor previously set the record by winning the event five times in a row between 1990-92.

At this year's indoor championships, it was the team of Trey Harts, Marcus Boyd, LeJerald Betters and Quentin Iglehart-Summers that brought home the championship. Harts also won the 200 meters, becoming just the ninth Baylor athlete to win an individual national title.

Equestrian hosts nationals, finishes 4th
In April, Baylor hosted the Varsity Equestrian National Championship at Waco's Heart of Texas Fairgrounds for the third straight year. Head coach Ellen White's Hunter Seat team posted its best-ever finish, placing fourth, while the Western team tied for seventh nationally.

Earlier in the spring, the equestrian program became just the third Baylor athletic program to be ranked No. 1 in the country. The Lady Bears were the top team in the Women's Intercollegiate Equestrian National Coaches Poll from February 24-March 10.

Men's hoops, women's golf among NCAA's top programs academically
Baylor's men's basketball and women's golf programs received public recognition awards from the NCAA for having Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores among the top 10 percent in the nation. April's honor marks the first APR award for either program and just the third time in school history a Baylor team has been honored, following the recognition coach Steve Smith's baseball team received in 2007.

According to the NCAA, the APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.