EMCC softball team earns No. 2 national ranking in 2016-17 Easton/NFCA Academic Team Top 10
For the sixth time in eight years, the East Mississippi Community College softball team has garnered Top 10 national academic honors with this year’s No. 2 ranking by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The 2016-17 Easton/NFCA Top 10 Academic Team rankings were announced Tuesday by the NFCA office headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
SCOOBA – For the sixth time in eight years, the East Mississippi Community College softball team has garnered Top 10 national academic honors with this year's No. 2 ranking by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The 2016-17 Easton/NFCA Top 10 Academic Team rankings were announced Tuesday by the NFCA office headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
Coach Kyndall White's EMCC Lions recorded a 3.643 composite grade point average during the 2016-17 academic year to finish behind only the College of Southern Idaho (3.686) among the national junior college ranks. Allen Community College (3.630), Iowa Western CC (3.591) and Wenatchee Valley College (3.540) rounded out the nation's Top 5 within the junior college division.
Individually, 14 of EMCC's 19 players on last year's softball roster posted GPAs of 3.57 or higher during the school year, including four players (Sydney Olander, Ciara Steward, Carly Thompson and Mallory Vance) with perfect 4.00 GPAs. Teammates Jordan Self and Rebekah Williams followed close behind with 3.90 GPAs a year ago.
Highlighted by back-to-back consensus No. 1 national academic team rankings from both the NFCA and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years, the EMCC softball program also previously garnered a No. 6 academic team ranking by the NFCA in 2014-15 as well as posting consecutive No. 5 national rankings during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years.
The Easton/NFCA team rankings recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across seven membership divisions. Garnering the highest team GPAs in the other college divisions were Western Carolina University (NCAA DI – 3.673), Upper Iowa University (NCAA DII – 3.813), Newberry College (NCAA DIII – 3.695) and Siena Heights University (NAIA – 3.780). Additionally, Byron Nelson (Texas) High School (4.740) and Trenton (Mich.) High School (3.850) led the high school weighted and unweighted categories, respectively.