HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Four Wallace State Community College teams and 41 student-athletes have earned National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) academic recognition for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Wallace State’s women’s cross country and softball teams compiled the second-best GPA in the nation in their respective sports and the men’s cross country and volleyball teams also gained acknowledgement as NJCAA honorable mention academic teams for compiling a 3.0 GPA or better.
Wallace State’s women’s cross country team, coached by Stan Narewski and assistant Tony Crider, put together a 3.75 GPA.
Wallace State’s softball team registered a 3.69 GPA, narrowly missing out as the NJCAA Academic Team of the Year. The squad is coached by A.J. Daugherty.
The college’s men’s cross country team was sixth in the nation in its sport with a 3.5 GPA, and the volleyball team racked up a 3.43 GPA. Men’s cross country is coached by Narewski and volleyball by Randy Daniel.
All four teams were named Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Academic Teams of the Year last month. The women’s cross country team was also named the National Junior College Cross Country Coaches Association Academic Team of the Year during the Fall 2019 semester after producing a 4.0 GPA.
Despite an academic year that was interrupted due to COVID-19, NJCAA student-athletes flourished in the classroom as 1,026 teams earned at least a 3.0 GPA or better.
Individual NJCAA academic achievements have also been unveiled.
Wallace State had 41 student-athletes earn NJCAA All-Academic recognition, including 18 on the NJCAA All-Academic 1st-Team with a 4.0 GPA. Volleyball had eight players to make the 1st team and softball had five.
Wallace State student-athletes with 4.0 GPAs, earning 1st-Team accolades are volleyball’s Kaitlyn Doyle, Karlee Hale, Mattrice Harris, Jordan Hollis, Kate Kent, Harlee Kate Reid, Anna Renshaw and Lauren Seibert; softball’s Abigail Beech, Erin Chambliss, Chaney Phillips, Josie Thompson and Katie Wood; women’s cross country’s Logan Ayers, Juliana Ballew, Maggie Graham and Breanna Smith; and Taylor Nails of the men’s cross country team.
NJCAA All-Academic 2nd-team members finished the academic year with a 3.99-3.80 GPA. Wallace State student-athletes in that category consist of softball’s Brantly Bonds, Lily Calvert, Raven Clark, Andrea Harbin and Callie Ryan; women’s cross country’s Bailey Wick and Makala Worrell; and Drake Patton of men’s cross country.
NJCAA All-Academic 3rd-team members finished the academic year with a GPA between 3.79-3.60. Wallace State student-athletes earning 3rd-team status are softball’s Madisen Adams, Olivia Ball, Kalli Cartee, Emma Hyche, Lauren McCoy, Jordan McMeans, Courtney Patterson, Lauren Quigley, Madison Sanders and Katelyn Williams; men’s cross country’s Hamza Abussamour and Joshua Jenkins; women’s cross country’s Alexandra Holt and Hannah Huntley; and Jiselle Woodson of the women’s basketball team.
Throughout the NJCAA, 9,555 student-athletes garnered All-Academic recognition for achieving a GPA above 3.6.
For the complete list of NJCAA team accomplishments, visit https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/1/5/15uw6orvsh5y8l/2019-20_NJCAA_Academic_Teams_of_the_Year_-_updated.pdf
For the complete list of individual academic achievements, visit https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/n/9/wv7kpzh7q7hmrt/2019-20_NJCAA_All-Academic_Teams_-2-.pdf For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit www.athletics.wallacestate.edu or the athletics Facebook page at www.wallacestate.edu/athleticsfb.
