Press Release :: Women's Basketball Coaches Association

Atlanta, Ga. -- The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced its 2006-2007 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 teams throughout the nation that have the highest grade point averages (GPA) for the 2006-2007 season based upon nominations submitted by WBCA-member coaches.

"It always brings the WBCA esteemed pleasure to recognize such prominent women's basketball programs that have committed themselves on the hardwood and in the classroom," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "Each of these teams lead by example and have set a benchmark of success academically among their peers and in the sport."

Four of the five top ranking institutions have appeared on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll as least once since the award first started following the 1997-1998 season. South Dakota State University holds the number one spot for the second year in a row. Dana College also continued their reign at the top spot for the second consecutive year. Iowa Lakes Community College settled for nothing less than the best, as they finished at the top in their first appearance in the WBCA's Academic Top 25. Also finishing at the top spot for the first time are Lake Superior State University and Hardin-Simmons University. These "class-act" teams combine for an average 3.630 GPA for the 2006-2007 season, up from last year's 3.602.

GPAs are calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by each student-athlete on an institution's roster 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.

NCAA Division I
South Dakota State's Aaron Johnston has guided his team to academic excellence for the past three seasons, after joining the NCAA Division I ranks. In 2005, Johnston's team sat second in the charts. In 2006, South Dakota State was ranked number one, and they continued the legacy this season. They also carried the highest GPA at all levels both last year and this year. The Lady Jacks not only had an impressive year academically, but athletically as well. They finished the season 25-6 and made a run in the postseason's WNIT.

"This is another great accomplishment for our team. Our players have always taken the award seriously, and it is great to see they have been honored two years in a row," Johnston said.

The WBCA Academic Top 25* Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division I is as follows:

NCAA Division II
Lake Superior State University appears in the WBCA's Academic Top 25 for the second time since 1997. The team sat at 14th for their first appearance and jumped to the number one spot, following head coach Jamie Pewinski's second year as head coach. The squad put up impressive numbers in the classroom and on the court, finishing the season 18-9.

"Without a doubt our girls dedicate themselves both on the court and in the classroom.  They are going to be ecstatic to know they were number one," Pewinski said.  "This is such a good group.  This is a demanding position to be in and they stepped up and met the challenge."

The WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division II is as follows:

NCAA Division III
Hardin-Simmons is no stranger to the WBCA's Academic Top 25. The squad made appearances in the Top 25 for seven consecutive seasons, from 1997 through 2004. After taking a hiatus from the honor, they make their eighth appearance, with their first at number one. On the court, the Cowgirls finished a commendable 21-5 for the season.

"We are extremely honored to be number one in the WBCA Academic Top 25.  We set it as a goal at the beginning of the year to be number one and we obviously accomplished that goal.  It is something we strive for," Hardin-Simmons head coach Shanna Briggs said.  "The girls worked extremely hard and were dedicated to their academics.  We’ve always been a team that has stressed academics and for them to come through on this goal is really a great accomplishment for them."

The WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division III is as follows:

NAIA
Coach Brenda Mechels set the standard high at the beginning of the season with one of the team's goals being to hold the top spot in the Academic Top 25 once again. The Dana College women's basketball squad achieved this goal with flying colors, topping the charts once again at number one. Prior to their number one ranking this season and last, the Lady Vikings' posted ranks of 22nd and fifth.

"When we received the honor last year, it was something that the team wanted to repeat because it was such a great honor.  This is going to mean a great deal to them and they take a lot of pride in the academic part of college," Mechels said. "It is a great honor for not only Dana College, but also our program and it is a tribute to the type of character that the athletes here have shown and their work ethic in the classroom."

The WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NAIA is as follows:

Junior College/Community College
Iowa Lakes Community College not only appears for the first time on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, but they take the number one seed. Head coach Brian Radtke hopes to make this academic success a yearly effort. The squad's excellence in the classroom carried over to the court as the team finished with an outstanding record of 27-4.

"I definitely feel that it is a great honor to even be able to work with these types of student-athletes. These women really worked incredibly hard for us this year. We finished 27-4 on the year, and to actually be academically successful also is just a great honor," Radtke said. "I know once they hear about this they will be ecstatic about it. They worked very hard in the classroom and on the court."

The WBCA Academic Top 20** Team Honor Roll for JC/CC is as follows:

Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as a sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.