Three GLIAC teams named to the 2012 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll

Three GLIAC teams named to the 2012 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll

ATLANTA - Three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) women's basketball programs have been honored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)for their academic success. The WBCA Academic Top 25 annually recognizes NCAA Divisions I, II and III; NAIA; and junior/community college women’s basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined grade point averages (GPAs) inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season.

Lake Erie College (No. 3), Michigan Technological University (No. 10) and Ashland University (No. 18) we all honored by the WBCA for having team grade point averages that ranked among the Top 25 in Division II.

Eleven of the 26 teams making the honor roll earned postseason berths in the NCAA Division II tournament, with No. 18 Ashland advancing to the national championship game.

 

A successful season on the court by the Lake Erie College women’s basketball team in 2011-12 was surpassed off the court as the Storm was recognized on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll on Tuesday (July 17) by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. ).   Lake Erie is the highest ranked team in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). Lake Erie was ranked third in NCAA Division II with a cumulative team grade point average of 3.684.

 

The Michigan Tech women’s basketball team finished 10th in the WBCA Top-25 Team Academic Honor Roll for the 2011-12 season. The Huskies posted a cumlative team grade point average of 3.547.The 2011-12 season marks the sixth straight year that the team has earned the award. The team’s finishes the previous five seasons; 2010-11 (20th), 2009-10 (1st), 2008-09 (4th), 2007-08 (2nd) and 2006-07 (4th).

 

Ashland finished 18th in the final WBCA Top 25 Academic rankings. The Eagles had a team GPA of 3.472. This isthe fifth consecutive season the Eagles have been included among the Top 20 teams in the nation.  The Eagles are coached by Sue Ramsey. In 2011-12, AU won the GLIAC championship and advanced to the NCAA Championship Game in San Antonio.

 

Here is the complete 2012 WBCA Academic Top 25 for NCAA Division II (**-NCAA tournament; *-left after season):

Rank

Institution

2011-12 Head Coach

Team GPA

1

Drury**

Steve Harold

3.709

2

King (Tenn.)

Josh Thompson

3.692

3

Lake Erie

Robert Booher

3.684

4

Fort Hays State

Tony Hobson

3.628

5

Rockhurst

Larry Park

3.586

6

Seton Hill

Ferne Labati

3.580

7

Lindenwood

James Francis

3.567

8

Fort Lewis**

Mark Kellogg*

3.562

9

Holy Family**

Mark Miller

3.558

10

Michigan Tech

Kimberly Cameron

3.547

11

Minnesota State Mankato**

Pam Gohl*

3.538

12

Merrimack

Monique LeBlanc

3.532

13

Minnesota State Moorhead

Karla Nelson

3.527

14

Gannon**

Cleve Wright

3.526

15

Winona State

Scott Ballard

3.513

16

Maryville (Mo.)**

Chris Ellis

3.507

17

Wisconsin-Parkside**

Jennifer Knight-Kenesie

3.498

18

Ashland**

Sue Ramsey

3.481

19

Montana State Billings

Kevin Woodin

3.476

20

Seattle Pacific

Julie Van Beek

3.448

21 (tie)

Franklin Pierce**

Stephen Hancock

3.446

21 (tie)

Wayne State**

Chris Kielsmeier

3.446

23

Concordia-St. Paul

Paul Fessler

3.440

24

Cal State East Bay

Suzy Barcomb

3.427

25 (tie)

St. Thomas Aquinas

Kim Lusk

3.415

25 (tie)

Minnesota Duluth**

Annette Wiles

3.415