Bucs Post Top Ten Team GPA in NCAA Division I Softball

STARKVILLE, Miss. (Sept. 29, 2011) – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released their academic team honors on Wednesday evening and the ETSU softball program ranked in the top ten among NCAA Division I leaders in grade-point-average (GPA) during the 2010-11 school year. Overall, the Bucs posted a 3.495 GPA, placing the Blue and Gold ninth on a list of 133 schools who submitted their GPAs to the NFCA.

The Bucs, who placed 73-percent of their team on the Atlantic Sun All-Academic List (3.0 GPA or better), also saw eight players receive Conference Scholar accolades; while Katie Henderson (Jackson, Tenn.) graduated with the Commissioner’s Scholar honor this past May. To be eligible for the Conference Scholar award, student-athletes must have recorded a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or better and have completed 48 total credit hours. The Commissioner’s Scholar accolade is awarded to student-athletes who finished their eligibility and registered a cumulative GPA of 3.6 to 3.79.

“This is an outstanding achievement by our program,” said head ETSU softball coach Brad Irwin, who begins his second year at the helm in 2011-12. “The team works incredibly hard in the classroom and this top ten GPA ranking is a testament to that. Our academic services department does a tremendous job working with the student-athletes and without their support this wouldn’t be attainable. I’m very, very proud of our players and their dedication in the classroom.”

The Atlantic Sun Conference was one of two leagues (Mid-American Conference) to place two teams in the top ten. Stetson was tied for tenth with Eastern Michigan with a 3.477 GPA.

Below is a listing of ETSU players who recorded a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Jackie Baird – 3.887 (A-Sun All-Academic)

Amy Campbell – 3.141 (A-Sun All-Academic)

Marlina Delisa – 3.68 (A-Sun All-Academic/Conference Scholar)

Nicole Fox – 3.06

Arielle Garner – 3.448 (A-Sun All-Academic/Conference Scholar)

Tara Hartnett – 3.551 (A-Sun All-Academic/Conference Scholar)

Katie Henderson – 4.0 (A-Sun All-Academic/Commissioner’s Scholar)

Whitley Hensley – 3.768 (A-Sun All-Academic/Conference Scholar)

Sade Johnson – 3.4

Sam Lower – 3.432 (A-Sun All-Academic/Conference Scholar)

Annie Martin – 3.94 (A-Sun All-Academic/Conference Scholar)

Shelby Morris – 3.77 (A-Sun All-Academic/Conference Scholar)

Mikayla Treadway – 3.717 (A-Sun All-Academic/Conference Scholar)

Katie Wolff – 3.071

About the NFCA Academic Awards Program

The NFCA Academic Awards program honors both collegiate and high school teams for their submitted GPAs for the 2010-2011 academic year.  As a second component of the program, all submitted student-athletes who achieved a 3.50 GPA during last academic year are named as a NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.  The individual honorees will be announced on Wednesday, October 5 on NFCA.org.

For more information on Buccaneer softball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.