July 17, 2012
CULLOWHEE, N.C. -Western Carolina women's basketball has been named to the 2012 WBCA Academic Top-25 ranking 13th with a combined team GPA of 3.406.
"We are very proud of our team for their hard work in the classroom," said Head Coach Karen Middleton. "Each of our student-athletes are committed and motivated to performing at their very best in all aspects of their lives. We take pride in setting a high standard and representing Western Carolina on and off the court."
This is the fifth time in Catamount women's basketball history the team has earned a placed on the WBCA Academic Top-25. In 2009, Western Carolina was ranked eighth, had its highest ranking with a fifth place spot in 2008, 15th in 2007 and sixth in 2001.
"Thank you to the WBCA for recognizing all programs that have excelled in the classroom this year," Middleton said.
The Catamounts are the only Southern Conference member team to take a spot in the 2012 WBCA Academic Top-25. Western Carolina is one of just two teams from the Southeastern part of the United States to be named to the honor roll, along with Florida Gulf Coast who was ranked ninth.
Western Carolina continues to set the pace, in this award, amongst Southern Conference teams. The Catamounts are still the highest placing conference team in the history of the WBCA Academic Top-25 and the only team to earn a spot on the list multiple times. Appalachian State was ranked 25th in 1999 and Chattanooga earned a 23rd ranking in 2000.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 annually recognizes NCAA Divisions I, II and III; NAIA; and junior/community college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined grade point averages (GPAs) inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2011-12 season is the 17th in which the WBCA has produced the honor rolls.
Here is the complete 2012 WBCA Academic Top 25 for NCAA Division:
|
|
Rank
|
Institution
|
2011-12 Head Coach
|
Team GPA
|
|
|
1
|
Green Bay**
|
Matt Bollant*
|
3.616
|
|
|
2
|
South Dakota State**
|
Aaron Johnston
|
3.61
|
|
|
3
|
DePaul**
|
Douglas Bruno
|
3.604
|
|
|
4
|
South Dakota
|
Ryun Williams*
|
3.595
|
|
|
5
|
American
|
Matt Corkery
|
3.563
|
|
|
6
|
Youngstown State
|
Robert Boldon
|
3.55
|
|
|
7
|
Utah Valley
|
Cathy Nixon
|
3.524
|
|
|
8
|
North Dakota
|
Gene Roebuck*
|
3.505
|
|
|
9
|
Florida Gulf Coast**
|
Karl Smesko
|
3.474
|
|
|
10
|
St. Francis (N.Y.)
|
John Thurston
|
3.456
|
|
|
11
|
Montana State
|
Tricia Binford
|
3.435
|
|
|
12
|
Northern Colorado
|
Jaime White
|
3.421
|
|
|
13
|
Western Carolina
|
Karen Middleton
|
3.406
|
|
|
14 (tie)
|
New Mexico
|
Yvonne Sanchez
|
3.403
|
|
|
14 (tie)
|
Northern Iowa
|
Tanya Warren
|
3.403
|
|
|
16
|
North Dakota State
|
Carolyn DeHoff
|
3.402
|
|
|
17
|
Montana
|
Robin Selvig
|
3.399
|
|
|
18
|
Indiana-Purdue, Fort Wayne
|
Chris Paul
|
3.398
|
|
|
19
|
Bradley
|
Paula Buscher*
|
3.396
|
|
|
20
|
Denver
|
Erik Johnson*
|
3.387
|
|
|
21
|
Bucknell
|
Kathy Fedorjaka*
|
3.382
|
|
|
22
|
Yale
|
Chris Gobrecht
|
3.352
|
|
|
23
|
Sacred Heart**
|
Edward Swanson
|
3.349
|
|
|
24
|
Bowling Green
|
Curt Miller*
|
3.347
|
|
|
25
|
Eastern Washington
|
Wendy Schuller
|
3.337
|
