Upstate Softball Ranked No. 3 In Nation In Team GPA
9/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Spartanburg, S.C. – While the USC Upstate softball team was playing its way to a 41-win season and an appearance in the championship game of the A-Sun Tournament in 2010, it also excelled in the classroom. On Wednesday, the NFCA announced its selections to the NFCA Girls Got Game Top Ten All-Academic teams and Scholar Athletes, and Upstate ranked No. 3 in all of NCAA Division I softball with a 3.566 GPA and had 16 NFCA Scholar Athletes.
The full list of Top 10 All-Academic teams and Scholar Athletes can be found at www.nfca.org.
"We are very proud of the accomplishments of our team on and off the field," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "Our players are true student-athletes and they value their education as much, if not more, than their opportunity to play college softball. I know how dedicated they are at softball, but I am tremendously proud of what they have accomplished academically, both as a group and individually."
Upstate had a tremendous year in 2010. The Spartans claimed 41 wins, the most since joining NCAA Division I in 2007-08. They also claimed a spot in the six-team A-Sun Tournament in the program's first year of eligibility as a fast-track sport in Division I. Upstate advanced to the championship game before finishing second. The squad finished the year ranked No. 63 in the final NCAA RPI ranking.
However, Upstate's performance in the classroom was even better than the efforts on the field. The Spartans posted a 3.536 GPA in the fall semester and a 3.593 GPA in the spring with four student-athletes earning perfect 4.0 GPAs in each semester, the most of any team at Upstate. They had 17 selections to the A-Sun All-Academic team.
"We couldn't be more proud of our softball team and their academic success," said Louise Ericson, Associate AD for Academics and Senior Woman Administrator at Upstate. "They are not only strong in talent and personal character, but also in their academic achievements and work in the community. These young women are exemplary models of the term 'student-athlete' and our University recognizes this accomplishment as truly remarkable."
In addition to the All-Academic team honor, Upstate had 16 selections to the Girls Got Game Scholar Athlete list for earning a 3.50 GPA or better for the academic year. The 16 members of the team who earned the honor are Kim Brasil (4.0 GPA), Crislyn Chewning, Morgan Childers, Monica Hall, Amber Hamilton (4.0 GPA), Jen Lamonica, Ashley McCurry, Ana Mitchell, Katelyn Molkenthin, Alyssa Starkey, Brittany Rice, Keri Sarratt (4.o GPA), Haley Sheehan, Becca Williams, Alex Yohe and Katie Zauner.
Upstate finished third in the nation in Division I with a 3.566 GPA. Robert Morris owned the top spot with a 3.580 GPA, while Bowling Green State was second with a 3.571 GPA. Bowling Green State also had 15 selections to the Scholar Athlete list, one shy of Upstate's total.
