WBCA ANNOUNCES 2018-19 ACADEMIC TOP 25 TEAM HONOR ROLLS

ATLANTA (July 23, 2019) – Western Illinois University, Tiffin University, Shenandoah University, Indiana Institute of Technology and Snow College sit atop their respective divisions in the 2018-19 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls announced today by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

Western Illinois, coached by JD Gravina, finished first among NCAA Division I members with a 3.767 cumulative team grade-point average. Tiffin, coached by Jessie Ivey, led NCAA Division II members with a 3.809 GPA. Shenandoah, coached by Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft, took top honors in NCAA Division III with a 3.764 GPA. Indiana Tech, coached by Jessie Biggs, was No. 1 in the NAIA division with a 3.817 GPA. And Snow, coached by Mike Russell, led all two-year college members with a 3.712 GPA.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2018-19 season is the 24th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.

“The WBCA is pleased to recognize those women’s basketball programs that have committed themselves to excellence on the court and in the classroom,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew.  “The 117 teams we honor this year strive to achieve all-around success and we commend their efforts. Congratulations!”

Here are the 2018-19 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls by division. The head coach listed for each institution was its head coach during the 2018-19 season.

NCAA Division I

Rank

Institution

Head Coach

GPA

1

Western Illinois University

JD Gravina

3.767

2

North Dakota State University

Maren Walseth

3.756

3

Robert Morris University

Charlie Buscaglia

3.713

4

Drake University

Jennie Baranczyk

3.695

5

University of South Dakota

Dawn Plitzuweit

3.690

6

University of Wyoming

Joe Legerski

3.688

7

Youngstown State University

John Barnes

3.668

8

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Kevin Borseth

3.641

9

Illinois State University

Kristen Gillespie

3.636

10

Lehigh University

Susan Troyan

3.625

11

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Cindy Stein

3.621

12

Northern Arizona University

Loree Payne

3.616

13

Loyola University-Maryland

Joe Logan

3.608

T14

Creighton University

Jim Flanery

3.606

T14

Houston Baptist University

Donna Finnie

3.606

16

George Mason University

Nyla Milleson

3.583

17

DePaul University

Doug Bruno

3.561

18

Rice University

Tina Langley

3.552

19

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Austin Parkinson

3.548

20

Kennesaw State University

Agnus Berenato

3.540

T21

Quinnipiac University

Trish Fabbri

3.535

T21

Stanford University

Tara VanDerveer

3.535

23

Northern Illinois University

Lisa Carlsen

3.510

24

University of North Carolina-Asheville

Brenda Kirkpatrick

3.505

25

University of Northern Iowa

Tanya Warren

3.504

 

NCAA Division II

Rank

Institution

Head Coach

GPA

1

Tiffin University

Jessie Ivey

3.809

2

Lubbock Christian University

Steve Gomez

3.767

3

Rockhurst University

Larry Park

3.737

4

Seton Hill University

Mark Katarski

3.734

5

University of Findlay

James Wiedie

3.725

6

Fort Hays State University

Tony Hobson

3.708

7

Lindenwood University

Katie Falco

3.691

8

Lee University

Marty Rowe

3.672

9

Purdue University Northwest

Courtney Locke

3.666

10

Augustana University

Dave Krauth

3.665

11

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Lynn Plett

3.652

12

Wayne State College

Brent Pollari

3.649

13

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Karla Nelson

3.646

14

Lenoir Rhyne University

Cameron Sealey

3.644

15

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia

Jackie Hartzell

3.630

16

Urbana University

Andrea McCloskey

3.628

17

Chestnut Hill College

Mike West

3.626

T18

Truman State University

Amy Eagan

3.598

T18

Point Loma Nazarene University

Lisa Faulkner

3.598

20

Michigan Technological University

Samantha Hoyt

3.574

21

Northwood University

Jeff Curtis

3.565

22

Chadron State College

Janet Raymer

3.560

23

Walsh University

Kate Bruce

3.558

24

Southern New Hampshire University

Karen Pinkos

3.557

25

Lewis University

Samantha Quigley Smith

3.553

 

NCAA Division III

Rank

Institution

Head Coach

GPA

1

Shenandoah University

Melissa Smeltzer-Kraft

3.764

2

Vassar College

Candice Signor-Brown

3.763

3

Marymount University

Ashlee Rogers

3.703

4

Ithaca College

Dan Raymond

3.679

5

Thiel College

Rob Clune

3.660

T6

Emerson College

William Gould

3.659

T6

Bethel University

Jon Herbrechtsmeyer

3.659

8

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Sam Dixon

3.656

9

Yeshiva University

Michael Alon

3.655

10

Misericordia University

Jason Rhine

3.650

11

Springfield College

Naomi Graves

3.623

12

Sarah Lawrence College

Bradley Alexander

3.607

13

St. Lawrence University

Dan Roiger

3.592

14

Adrian College

Kathy Morris

3.591

15

Principia College

Dory Smith

3.590

16

Elmira College

Devin Shea

3.584

17

Penn State Harrisburg

Ross Patrick

3.583

18

Middlebury College

KJ Krasco

3.580

19

Washington and Lee University

Christine Clancy

3.579

20

Johns Hopkins University

Katherine Bixby

3.574

21

St. Joseph's College-Maine

Mike McDevitt

3.568

22

Marywood University

Gabby Holko

3.566

23

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Sonia Raman

3.553

24

Hope College

Brian Morehouse

3.546

25

Manchester University

Josh Dzurick

3.538

 

NAIA

Rank

Institution

Head Coach

GPA

1

Indiana Institute of Technology

Jessie Biggs

3.817

2

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.)

Michael Trujillo

3.718

3

Taylor University

Jody Martinez

3.705

4

Huntington University

Lori Culler

3.699

5

St. Ambrose University

Krista Van Hauen

3.697

6

Mount Marty College

Todd James Schlimgen

3.692

7

Cardinal Stritch University

John Pfaffl

3.690

8

Grand View University

Kelli Greenway

3.689

9

Lawrence Technological University

Kylene Biggs

3.633

10

Hannibal-LaGrange University

Kelly Quigle

3.621

11

Shawnee State University

Jeff Nickel

3.615

12

University of Pikeville

Clifton Williams

3.613

13

Northwestern College

Chris Yaw

3.607

14

Olivet Nazarene University

Lauren Glenn

3.601

15

The College of Idaho

Janis Beal

3.599

16

University of Rio Grande

David Smalley

3.595

17

Blue Mountain College

Lavon Driskell

3.565

18

The University of Montana Western

Lindsay Woolley

3.557

19

Faulkner University

Reed Sutton

3.552

20

Concordia University (Neb.)

Drew Olson

3.551

T22

Mid-America Christian University

Hannah Moeller

3.532

T22

Milligan College

Richard Aubrey

3.532

23

Peru State College

Joan Albury

3.490

24

Columbia College

Taylor Possail

3.487

25

Culver-Stockton College

Janette Burgin

3.466

 

Two-Year College*

Rank

Institution

Head Coach

GPA

1

Snow College

Mike Russell

3.712

2

Northwest Mississippi Community College

Don Edwards

3.700

3

Miles Community College

Nate Vogel

3.677

4

Frank Phillips College

Eric Rodewald

3.629

5

South Georgia Technical College

James Frey

3.519

6

Dodge City Community College

Zach Loll

3.517

7

Neosho County Community College

JJ Davis

3.453

8

Umpqua Community College

David Stricklin

3.393

9

John Wood Community College

Norman Rodriguez

3.385

10

Northeastern Junior College

David Huss

3.341

11

Hill College

Scott Hyland

3.247

12

Ventura College

Ned Mircetic

3.155

13

Central Maine Community College

Andrew Morong

3.144

14

Kankakee Community College

Donnie Denson

3.136

15

Seward County Community College

Austin Mefford

3.114

16

Gulf Coast State College

Mary Scovel

3.075

17

Dawson Community College

Romeo Lagmay

3.044

Note: There were only 17 institutions eligible for nomination in the two-year 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 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit www.WBCA.org for more details about the Association.