The
Western Nebraska Community College women’s basketball and softball teams, along
with eight Cougar student-athletes, were recently honored by the National
Junior College Athletic Association for their academics the past season after
the NJCAA released it All-Academic Team and Individual honors this week.
The
women’s basketball team had the biggest honor as they were among the top 15
women’s basketball teams in academics. The Cougar women, who won the Region IX
title in March, finished with a 3.39 grade point average.
The
Cougar women also had four players earn Academic Achievement. Gritt Ryder, a
sophomore from Denmark, earned a Superior Academic Achievement, finishing with
a 3.83 GPA. Earning Exemplary Academic Achievement were Jessica Aratani of Morrill
(3.72), Idil Ozbayrak of Turkey (3.66), and Kelsey Doddridge of Kersey, Colo.,
(3.62).
The
women’s softball and soccer teams also earned All-Academic recognition.
The
Cougar softball team, who set a school record with 56 wins this past season,
earned an Academic Team designation after they finished with a 3.01 GPA.
Cougar
softball players Kayla Romey and Melanie Rowson were also awarded a Superior
Academic Achievement honor. Rowson, a sophomore from Vancouver, British
Columbia, finished with a 3.91 GPA. Rowson was also awarded the WNCC Female
Highest GPA honor in April.
Romey,
a Gering High graduate, earned a Superior Achievement with a 3.8 GPA. Both
Romey and Rowson have signed to play at Friends University next year.
The
Cougar women’s soccer team had two players earn Exemplary Academic Achievement
honors. Ashley Baker and Kelsey Newby, both from Centennial, Colo., finished with
3.62 GPAs last season.
Over
1,600 NJCAA student-athletes met the requirements for individual academic
honors, including 169 that earned the Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence
(4.0 GPA). Superior Academic Achievement (3.8-plus GPA) honors went to 592
student-athletes and over 900 met the standard for Exemplary Academic
Achievement (3.6-plus GPA).
Academic team accolades (3.0 or
higher team GPA) were earned by over 500 programs with 24 winning the
distinction as the Academic Teams of the Year.
