St. Francis Brooklyn, coached by John Thurston, finished first among NCAA Division I members with a 3.712 cumulative team grade-point average. Upper Iowa, coached by Carol Russell, led NCAA Division II members with a 3.731 GPA. Dubuque, coached by Mark Noll, took top honors in NCAA Division III with a 3.685 GPA. Mount Marty, coached by Tom Schlimgen, was No. 1 in the NAIA division with a 3.828 GPA. And Northwest College, coached by Janis Beal, led all junior/community college members with a 3.575 GPA.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III; NAIA and junior/community college women’s basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2015-16 season is the 21st in which the WBCA as compiled the honor rolls.
“Congratulations to each of the teams recognized in the 2015-16 WBCA Academic Top 25,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “Their head coaches are to be commended for fostering an environment of excellence for their student-athletes both on the court and, more importantly, in the classroom."
Here are the 2015-16 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls by division. The head coach listed for each institution was its head coach during the 2015-16 season.
NCAA Division I
|
Rank |
Institution |
Head Coach |
GPA |
|
1 |
St. Francis College Brooklyn |
John Thurston |
3.712 |
|
2 |
University of South Dakota |
Amy Williams |
3.691 |
|
3 |
Youngstown State University |
John Barnes |
3.639 |
|
4 |
Eastern Washington University |
Wendy Schuller |
3.637 |
|
5 |
Houston Baptist University |
Donna Finnie |
3.612 |
|
6 |
Belmont University |
Cameron Newbauer |
3.591 |
|
7 |
St. Bonaventure University |
Jim Crowley |
3.575 |
|
8 |
University of Northern Iowa |
Tanya Warren |
3.565 |
|
9 |
Loyola University Maryland |
Joe Logan |
3.556 |
|
10 |
Drake University |
Jennie Baranczyk |
3.546 |
|
11 |
Bradley University |
Michael Brooks |
3.534 |
|
12 |
University of New Mexico |
Mike Bradbury |
3.524 |
|
T13 |
University of Wisconsin, Green Bay |
Kevin Borseth |
3.515 |
|
T13 |
Northwestern State University |
Brooke Stoehr |
3.515 |
|
15 |
Saint Louis University |
Lisa Stone |
3.503 |
|
16 |
Creighton University |
Jim Flanery |
3.498 |
|
17 |
University of Denver |
Kerry Cremeans |
3.484 |
|
18 |
University of Maine |
Richard Barron |
3.480 |
|
19 |
Florida Gulf Coast University |
Karl Smesko |
3.475 |
|
20 |
Harvard University |
Kathy Delaney-Smith |
3.474 |
|
21 |
DePaul University |
Doug Bruno |
3.470 |
|
22 |
Liberty University |
Carey Green |
3.468 |
|
23 |
Abilene Christian University |
Julie Goodenough |
3.450 |
|
24 |
American University |
Megan Gebbia |
3.449 |
|
25 |
Bowling Green State University |
Jennifer Roos |
3.446 |
NCAA Division II
|
Rank |
Institution |
Head Coach |
GPA |
|
1 |
Upper Iowa University |
Carol Russell |
3.731 |
|
2 |
Ohio Dominican University |
Lynsey Warren |
3.720 |
|
3 |
Seton Hill Uniuversity |
Mark Katarski |
3.711 |
|
4 |
Minnesota State University, Mankato |
Emilee Thiesse |
3.675 |
|
T5 |
Northwood University |
Jeff Curtis |
3.672 |
|
T5 |
University of Findlay |
James Wiedie |
3.672 |
|
7 |
University of Sioux Falls |
Travis Traphagen |
3.656 |
|
8 |
Lindenwood University |
Tony Francis |
3.649 |
|
9 |
Michigan Technological University |
Kimberly Cameron |
3.645 |
|
10 |
Lee University |
Marty Rowe |
3.627 |
|
11 |
Rockhurst University |
Larry Park |
3.619 |
|
12 |
Barry University |
William Sullivan |
3.616 |
|
13 |
University of the Sciences |
Jackie Hartzell |
3.604 |
|
T14 |
Ashland University |
Robyn Fralick |
3.603 |
|
T14 |
Winona State University |
Scott Ballard |
3.603 |
|
16 |
Drury University |
Molly Miller |
3.593 |
|
17 |
Lubbock Christian University |
Steve Gomez |
3.591 |
|
18 |
Texas Woman's University |
Beth Jillson |
3.589 |
|
19 |
Augustana University |
Dave Krauth |
3.583 |
|
20 |
Minnesota State University Moorhead |
Karla Nelson |
3.570 |
|
21 |
Western Oregon University |
Holli Howard-Carpenter |
3.566 |
|
22 |
Fort Hays State University |
Tony Hobson |
3.559 |
|
23 |
Holy Family University |
Mark Miller |
3.553 |
|
24 |
Gannon University |
James Brunelli |
3.530 |
|
25 |
Lake Erie College |
Robert Booher |
3.517 |
NCAA Division III
|
Rank |
Institution |
Head Coach |
GPA |
|
1 |
University of Dubuque |
Mark Noll |
3.685 |
|
2 |
Westminster College (Missouri) |
Tracey Braden |
3.662 |
|
3 |
Emerson College |
Bill Gould |
3.611 |
|
T4 |
Houghton College |
Alicia Mucher |
3.605 |
|
T4 |
University of California, Santa Cruz |
Todd Kent |
3.605 |
|
6 |
Lancaster Bible College |
Katelyn Vanderhoff |
3.585 |
|
7 |
Bethel University (Minnesota) |
Jon Herbrechtsmeyer |
3.584 |
|
8 |
Yeshiva University |
Michael Alon |
3.579 |
|
9 |
Lakeland College |
Aaron Nester |
3.570 |
|
10 |
North Central University |
Paul Brunner |
3.560 |
|
11 |
Kalamazoo College |
Katie Miller |
3.555 |
|
12 |
Nebraska Wesleyan University |
Britni Fett |
3.553 |
|
13 |
Olivet College |
Nicole Burford |
3.544 |
|
14 |
New York University |
Lauren Hall-Gregory |
3.539 |
|
15 |
Washington and Lee University |
Christine Clancy |
3.538 |
|
16 |
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point |
Shirley Egner |
3.532 |
|
17 |
Elmhurst College |
Tethnie Carrillo |
3.531 |
|
T18 |
Simmons College |
Kristen Rasmussen |
3.529 |
|
T18 |
Monmouth College |
Kyle Wilson |
3.529 |
|
20 |
Chatham University |
Sandy Rectenwald |
3.519 |
|
21 |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology> |
Sonia Raman |
3.509 |
|
T22 |
Capital University |
Dixie Jeffers |
3.493 |
|
T22 |
Millikin University |
Lori Kerans |
3.493 |
|
T24 |
The College of New Jersey |
Dawn Henderson |
3.487 |
|
T24 |
Waynesburg University |
Sam Jones |
3.487 |
NAIA
|
Rank |
Institution |
Head Coach |
GPA |
|
1 |
Mount Marty College |
Tom Schlimgen |
3.828 |
|
2 |
Concordia University (Nebraska) |
Drew Olson |
3.730 |
|
3 |
Valley City State University |
Jill DeVries |
3.678 |
|
4 |
Davenport University |
Robyn Scherr |
3.659 |
|
5 |
Indiana Wesleyan University |
Steve Brooks |
3.624 |
|
6 |
St. Ambrose University |
Krista Van Hauen |
3.611 |
|
7 |
Bethel College (Kansas) |
Mark Fox |
3.594 |
|
8 |
Lewis-Clark State College |
Brian Orr |
3.562 |
|
T9 |
Montana State University-Northern |
Chris Mouat |
3.556 |
|
T9 |
Doane College |
Tracee Fairbanks |
3.556 |
|
11 |
Huntington University |
Lori Culler |
3.548 |
|
12 |
University of Rio Grande |
David Smalley |
3.535 |
|
T13 |
Cardinal Stritch University |
John Pfaffl |
3.533 |
|
T13 |
Indiana University East |
Tiffani Selhorst> |
3.533 |
|
15 |
Dakota Wesleyan University |
Jason Christensen |
3.525 |
|
16 |
Saint Xavier University |
Bob Hallberg |
3.520 |
|
17 |
Northwestern College |
Chris Yaw |
3.515 |
|
18 |
Freed-Hardeman University |
Dale Neal |
3.500 |
|
19 |
Vanguard University |
Russ Davis |
3.493 |
|
20> |
Kansas Wesleyan University |
Ryan Showman |
3.487 |
|
21 |
Blue Mountain College |
Lavon Driskell |
3.483 |
|
22 |
Benedictine College |
Chad Folsom |
3.465 |
|
23 |
Carroll College |
Rachelle Sayers |
3.421 |
|
24 |
University of Great Falls |
Bill Himmelberg |
3.404 |
|
25 |
Faulkner University |
Reed Sutton |
3.363 |
Junior/Community College*
|
Rank |
Institution |
Head Coach |
GPA |
|
1 |
Northwest College |
Janis Beal |
3.575 |
|
2 |
Sheridan College |
Frank McCarthy |
3.567 |
|
3 |
Dawson Community College |
Romeo Lagmay, Jr. |
3.534 |
|
4 |
Des Moines Area Community College |
Steve Krafcisin |
3.466 |
|
5 |
Snow College |
Mike Russell |
3.446 |
|
6 |
Gulf Coast State College |
Roonie Scovel |
3.250 |
|
7 |
Minnesota West Community & Technical College |
Rosalie Hayenga |
3.193 |
|
8 |
McHenry County College |
Karen Wiley |
3.148 |
|
9 |
Frank Phillips College |
Eric Rodewald |
3.137 |
|
10 |
Johnson County Community College |
Ben Conrad |
3.117 |
|
11 |
Lincoln College |
Carol Wilson |
3.089 |
|
12 |
LaGuardia Community College |
Anthony Alfaro |
3.033 |
|
13 |
Illinois Central College |
Karrie Redeker |
3.030 |
|
14 |
Ventura College |
Ned Mircetic |
3.016 |
*—Note: There were only 14 institutions eligible for nomination in the junior/community college division.
A team’s GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) earned by the total number of academic hours attempted by all team members in the academic terms (semesters or quarters) that the season spans. Weighted grades are converted to a 4.0 scale. The GPAs are rounded to the nearest thousandth of a point. Teams are nominated for the honor by the WBCA-member head coach. A team must have a 3.000 or better GPA to be nominated.
# # #
About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association 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 as a sport for women and girls. For more information on the WBCA, visit wbca.org.
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