for immediate release
contact wbca: 770.279.8027
WBCA Announces 2003 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls for 2002-03 Season
NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA & JC/CC Schools Earn Distinction

WBCA Announces 2003 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls for 2002-03 Season

NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA & JC/CC Schools Earn Distinction

ATLANTA, Ga.(October 7, 2003) -- The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) today announced its 2002-2003 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and Junior College/Community College. The awards recognize the nation's highest team grade point averages (GPA) for the 2002-03 season based upon nominations submitted by WBCA-member coaches.

"It incredible to see the GPAs each Top 25 team produces year in and year out," said Beth Bass, the Chief Executive Officer of the WBCA. "These teams set a precedent among student-athletes and deserve to be recognized for their accomplishment. Congratulations to the 110 teams we honor this year!"

ACADEMIC TOP 25 HONOR ROLL 2002-2003
Division
Institution
2002-03 Head Coach
GPA
Top 25 Range
NCAA I Indiana State University Jim Wiedie 3.639 3.639-3.228
NCAA II University of Nebraska-Kearney Carol Russell 3.723 3.723-3.336
NCAA III Whitworth College Helen Higgs 3.573 3.573-3.314
NAIA Concordia (NE) University Todd Voss 3.660 3.660-2.967*
JC/CC Salt Lake Community College Betsy Specketer 3.467 3.467-2.864*
*Top 24 Range
*Top 10 Range

Indiana State University and the University of Nebraska-Kearney make their first, first-place finishes in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, while Whitworth (2000), Concordia (2000, 2001, and 2002) and Salt Lake Community College (2000) have all earned top honors in the noted previous years. Concordia makes an unprecedented fourth consecutive No. 1 finish.

GPAs are calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by each student-athlete on an institution's squad list in the given academic terms by the total number of hours earned by the team. The GPAs are rounded to the nearest thousandth of a point.

2003 NCAA Division III Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll

1. Whitworth College Helen Higgs 3.573
2. Coe College Melissa Bruner 3.560
3. Adrian College Kathy Morris 3.538
4. Villa Julie College Chris A. Ramer 3.488
5. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Pamela Ruder 3.485
6. Messiah College Mike Miller 3.460
7. Webster University Ryan Barke 3.448
8. Ripon College Julie Johnson 3.440
9. Wartburg College Monica Severson 3.426
10. Baldwin-Wallace College Cheri Harrer 3.419
11. Skidmore College Dr. Lisa Pleban 3.417
12. Hardin-Simmons University Shanna Briggs 3.412
13. University of St. Thomas Tricia Dornisch 3.405
14. Moravian College Mary Beth Spirk 3.402
15. Albion College Doreen Belkowski 3.396
16. Ohio Northern University Michele Durand 3.383
17. Wellesley College Kathy Hagerstrom 3.375
18. Suffolk University Ed Leyden 3.370
19. Emory University Myra Sims 3.365
T20. North Park University Jack Surridge 3.360
T20. Swarthmore College** Adrienne Shibles 3.360
21. Bowdoin College Stefanie Pemper 3.342
22. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute John Greene 3.331
T23. Clarke College Joan Seffen 3.316
T23. Roger Williams University Rachel Madsen 3.316
25. Mount Holyoke College Megan Henry 3.314

**Due to error in reporting, Swarthmore College will be placed as a tie for 20th place and all other teams will retain their original rankings.

2003 NCAA Division I Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll [complete list]
2003 NCAA Division II Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll [complete list]
2003 NCAA Division III Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll [complete list]
2003 NAIA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll [complete list]
2003 Junior College/Community College Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll [complete list]

 
- WBCA -