Saturday, August 13, 2005

WBCA ANNOUNCES 2005 ACADEMIC TOP 25 TEAM HONOR ROLLS
FOR 2004-2005 SEASON
Lady Saints Ranked 5th in NAIA Honor Roll

Atlanta, Ga. - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced its 2004-2005 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and Junior College/Community College. Head coach Buffie Burson and her nationally ranked Lady Saints were tied for fifth overall in this years honor roll.

"Based on graduation-rate research, the female student-athlete cohort has consistently graduated at the highest rate, followed by female students, male students and male student-athletes," said WBCA Chief Executive Officer Beth Bass. "These 115 teams set the standard for student-athletes to excel in the classroom as well as on the court. Congratulations!"

ACADEMIC TOP 25 TEAM HONOR ROLL 2004-2005
FIRST PLACE

Division Institution 2004-05 Head Coach GPA Top 25 Range
School	Head Coach	Team GPA
NCAA I Indiana State University	Jim Wiedie	3.602
NCAA II Drury University	Nyla Milleson	3.802
NCAA III York College	Betsy Witman	3.725
NAIA Concordia (NE) University	Todd Voss	3.786
JC/CC Lincoln College	Carol Wilson	3.380

Concordia (NE) University is not a stranger to the Academic Top 25 as they are crowned for the sixth-straight year at number one (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004). Indiana State University (2003) and Drury University (2004) are both returners to the number one seed in the Top 25 as well. York College and Lincoln College are making their mark on the Academic Top 25 with their first visit to the number one spot. All first -place schools have previously been honored on the Academic Honor Roll placing in the top 25 within the past five years.

GPAs are calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by each student-athlete on an institution's squad list in the given academic terms by the total number of hours earned by the team. The GPAs are rounded to the nearest thousandth of a point .

NCAA Division I

Indiana State University's Jim Wiedie enters his fifth season as head coach with his team putting in almost as many appearances with four consecutive in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. After finishing first in 2003, his team couldn't bear their second place finish in 2004 and had to redeem their efforts, proving successful as they finished at the top of their ranks this past season.

“ It's really just a testament to the quality student-athletes that we recruit, “ Wiedie said. “We have a phenomenal academic enrichment center and our coordinators there do a terrific job and we are very fortunate.”

Not only has Wiedie led his team to succeed in the classroom, but the Indiana State University has reached new levels on the court as his 2004-2005 squad finished the season with 23 wins and a record of 23-9 overall.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division I is as follows:

School	Head Coach	Team GPA
1. Indiana State University	Jim Wiedie	3.602
2. South Dakota State University	Aaron Johnston	3.567
3. Eastern Washington University	Wendy Schuller	3.498
4. North Dakota State University	Amy Ruley	3.476
5. Iowa State University	Bill Fennelly	3.461
6. Southwest Missouri State University	Katie Abrahamson-Henderson	3.425
7. University of Wisconsin, Green Bay	Kevin Borseth	3.422
8. University of Northern Iowa	Tony DiCecco	3.418
T9. Belmont University	Tony Cross	3.392
T9. Montana State University-Bozeman	Greg Kudrna	3.392
T9. Northern Arizona University	Laurie Kelly	3.392
12. University of South Dakota	Chad Lavin	3.391
13. University of New Mexico	Don Flanagan	3.387
14. Manhattan College	Myndi Hill	3.376
T15. Lehigh University	Susan Troyan	3.373
T15. Valparaiso University	Keith Freeman	3.373
17. Fairleigh Dickinson University	Sandy Gordon Gaglioti	3.365
18. Harvard University	Kathleen Delaney-Smith	3.360
19. Creighton University	Jim Flanery	3.348
20. University of San Francisco	Mary Hile-Nepfel	3.344
21. Yale University	Amy Backus	3.328
22. Southern Illinois University	Dana Eikenberg	3.314
23. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee	Sandy Botham	3.305
24. Niagara University	William Agronin	3.302
25. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities	Pamela Borton	3.287

 

NCAA Division II

The Drury University women's basketball team set the standard among all divisions, including NCAA, NAIA and JC/CC, as they soar with the highest team GPA of 3.802. With their second appearance at first place and fifth year ranked in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, it seems that head coach Nyla Milleson is seeking to make this customary from year to year.

“ Some of the self-discipline that our young ladies have has just been the equation to our success,” Milleson said. “I think being a student-athlete is very difficult, but I think with the right resources and the right support it really is a positive for students to be involved.”

The Drury Lady Panther program has become a sensation on the hardwood as well posting an overall record of 130-24 with last year's outstanding record of 29-2 with only five seasons under it's belt.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division II is as follows:

School	Head Coach	Team GPA
1. Drury University	Nyla Milleson	3.802
2. University of Findlay	Carolyn Mair	3.590
3. Augustana College	Dave Krauth	3.557
4. Minnesota State University	Karla Nelson	3.509
5. University of Nebraska-Kearney	Carol Russell	3.501
6. Kentucky Wesleyan College	Ronald Williams	3.493
7. Gannon University	Cleve Wright	3.487
8. Colorado Christian University	Kristen Buckley	3.486
9. Northern Kentucky University	Nancy Winstel	3.477
10. Central Missouri State University	David Slifer	3.462
11. Tusculum College	Melissa Tiber	3.449
12. Michigan Tech. University	John M. Barnes	3.446
13. Lewis University	Lynn Plett	3.434
14. Ferris State University	Tracey Bloodworth-Fisk	3.432
15. Saint Martin's College	Timothy J. Healy	3.431
16. West Liberty State College	Lynn Ullom	3.412
17. Pace University	Carrie Seymour	3.405
18. Saint Michael's College	Jennifer Niebling	3.364
19. Pittsburg State University	Steve High	3.347
20. Abilene Christian University	Shawna L. Lavender	3.346
T21. Grand Canyon University	Kip Drown	3.341
T21. University of Pittsburgh	Jodi Gault	3.341
23. University of Minnesota-Duluth	Karen Stromme	3.339
24. Truman State University	John Sloop	3.325
25. East Stroudsburg University	Juliene B. Simpson	3.321

 

NCAA Division III

Finishing a close second last year, York College's head coach, Betsy Witman, was bound and determined to elevate their team GPA to an unconquerable measure in the 2004-2005 season. What many would consider a difficult feat to accomplish shooting for first place, Witman's team did so with quite a few new freshman on the roster.

“I thought they would be tough to beat,” Witman said. “We've always done really well academically and this past year we have overachieved and I'm just so proud. I think they really represent what a Division III student-athlete really is.”

As the Spartans gear up for the upcoming season, they are setting high standards for the girls on the court as well as in the classroom.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NCAA Division III is as follows:

School	Head Coach	Team GPA
1. York College	Betsy Witman	3.725
2. Messiah College	Michael Miller	3.715
3. McDaniel College	Becky L. Martin	3.561
4. Whitman College	Michelle Ferenz	3.539
5. Colorado College	Kelly Mahlum	3.512
6. College of Notre Dame of MD	Scot Reisinger	3.504
7. Gustavus Adolphus College	Mickey Haller	3.497
8. College of St. Scholastica	Stacy Deadrick	3.494
9. Greenville College	Roy S. Mulholland	3.489
10. Webster University	Ryan Barke	3.463
11. Emory University	Chris Thomaskutty	3.439
12. King's College	Bryan Whitten	3.438
13. Baldwin-Wallace	College Cheri Harrer	3.435
14. University of St. Thomas	Tricia Dornisch	3.412
15. North Central College	Emily Bauer	3.404
16. University of Puget Sound	Suzy Barcomb	3.392
17. Maryville University-St. Louis	Chris Ellis	3.379
18. Muhlenberg College	Ronald P. Rohn	3.378
19. Simpson College	Brian Niemuth	3.372
T20. Coe College	Melissa Bruner	3.352
T20. Bowdoin College	Stefanie Pemper	3.352
T20. Wilmington College	Jerry Scheve	3.352
23. North Park University	Jack Surridge	3.341
T24. Colby College	Patricia M. O'Brien	3.334
T24. Ripon College	Julie H. Johnson	3.334

 

NAIA

Concordia University (NE) achieves a truly exceptional sixth consecutive first-place finish atop the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll. No other team – NCAA, NAIA, or JC/CC – has equaled this feat and has deemed the Bulldogs as the unofficial “untouchables”. Between 2000 and 2005, Concordia University has respectively accumulated a phenomenal team GPA of 3.703.

“Our success is attributed to a combination of the type of student-athletes that we recruit as well as the foundation that has already been laid. We want kids to maximize their God-given talents whether that's being a great student or being a great basketball player, whatever arena they fall into,” said Todd Voss, head coach. “It has certainly become a thing that our program takes a lot of pride in.”

To top off the Bulldogs lengthy list of accomplishments, the team made it to the NAIA Basketball Championships during the 2004-2005 season, posting an overall record of 31-5 while also being crowned as GPAC Tournament Champions.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for NAIA is as follows:

School	Head Coach	Team GPA
1. Concordia University-Nebraska	Todd M. Voss	3.786
2. University of Montana-Western	Kevin Engellant	3.634
3. Mount Marty College	Chuck Iverson	3.611
4. Dickinson State University	Tara Kreklau	3.567
T5. Savannah College of Art & Design	Patricia K. Huisinga	3.509
T5. North Georgia College & State Univ.	Buffie Burson	3.509
7. Northwestern College	Earl Woudstra	3.507
8. Notre Dame De Namur University	Stephanie Duke	3.499
9. Lee University	Marty Rowe	3.457
10. Freed-Hardeman University	Dale E. Neal	3.449
11. William Woods University	Melissa A. Brooks	3.448
12. Briar Cliff University	Pam A. Gohl	3.439
13. Vanguard University	Russ D. Davis	3.437
14. Brescia University	Brian P. Sullivan	3.423
15. Huntington College	Lori Culler	3.400
16. Loyola University	Mary Plaisance	3.376
17. Carroll College	Shawn Nelson	3.371
18. College of the Ozarks	George Wilson	3.344
19. Midland Lutheran College	Joanne Bracker	3.326
20. Georgetown College	Susan Johnson	3.323
21. Trevecca Nazarene University	Julie Van Beek	3.322
22. Dana College	Brenda E. Mechels	3.315
23. Carlow University	John Brown	3.303
24. The Franciscan Univ. of the Prairies	Meg Schebler	3.302
25. Campbellsville University	Donna Wise	3.289

 

Junior College/Community College

Appearing for the fourth time on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, Lincoln College takes home the top ranking for the first time. Under head coach Carol Wilson's tenure, the Lynx have made their other appearances in the Top 25 in 2001, 2002, and 2004. Placing second in 2004, the Lincoln ladies knew they needed to make the extra effort to set them apart from the rest during the 2004-2005 season.

“The young ladies I have are very goal-oriented and are willing to succeed. They understand now that there is an importance in the classroom and also on the court,” Wilson said.

Coach Wilson also looks to continue the tradition on the court and in the classroom following a successful 2004-2005 season with an overall record of 18-15.

The WBCA Academic Top 25* Team Honor Roll for JC/CC is as follows:

School	Head Coach	Team GPA
1. Lincoln College	Carol Wilson	3.380
2. Central Arizona College	Lin Laursen	3.377
3. Solano Community College	Matt Borchert	3.312
4. Salt Lake Community College	Betsy Specketer	3.262
5. Columbia Basin Community College	Cheryl Holden	3.245
6. Kishwaukee College	Karen Wiley	3.233
7. Kirkwood Community College	Kim Muhl	3.212
8. Ventura College	Ned Mircetic	3.148
9. North Idaho College	Chris Carlson	3.147
10. Northeastern Junior College	Wendy Hirschfeld	3.117
11. Lincoln Trail College	Denise L. Young	3.060
12. Paris Junior College	Scott W. Hyland	2.954
13. John Wood Community College	Norman J. Rodriguez	2.811
14. Lon Morris College	Rosalyn E. Floyd	2.722
15. Southwestern Christian	Ski Wyrick	2.672

* = Fifteen (15) complete nominations were submitted to the WBCA for 2005

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as an amateur sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.

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