MONROEVILLE – Alabama Southern Community College's athletics teams were recognized recently by the National Junior College Athletics Association for their academic performance in the past year.
ASCC's baseball and softball teams received NJCAA Academic Team Award Honorable Mentions for their academic performances. The Eagle baseball team had the 14th highest GPA in the nation at 3.30. Currently, 395 teams compete in baseball in the NJCAA. In addition, the ASCC baseball team had the highest team GPA among teams competing in the state of Alabama. The softball team had the 56th highest team GPA at 3.31 out of 365 teams playing softball nationwide.
In addition to the team awards, 15 Alabama Southern athletes from three different sports received awards for their individual classroom performances.
Two players received Pinnacle Awards. Pinnacle Awards recognize students for maintaining a perfect, 4.0 grade-point average. Brooke Higdon of the ASCC softball team and Zach Cumbie of the baseball team each received a Pinnacle Award.
Three athletes received Superior Awards. Superior Awards recognize student-athletes who maintain a grade-point average of 3.80-3.99. Receiving Superior Awards were: Mallory McCarty (ASCC softball); Shelby Harrell (ASCC softball); and Tucker Powell (ASCC baseball).
Ten ASCC athletes received Exemplary Awards for maintaining a grade-point average between 3.60-3.79. This group included: Ashton Linton (ASCC baseball); Bailey Harris (ASCC softball); Douglas Johnston III (ASCC baseball); Hannah Winston (ASCC softball); Heather Ellis (ASCC softball); Jacob Booke (ASCC basketball); Landon Powell (ASCC baseball); Ryan McClendon (ASCC baseball); Sara Pope (ASCC softball); and Trey Garris (ASCC baseball).
"I am extremely proud of all these student-athletes," remarked ASCC Athletic Director Daniel Head. "They have really stepped up and they realize they have to perform both in games and in the classroom."
Head commended the ASCC coaching staffs as well.
"Our coaches have worked hard to hammer that attitude into the players and it has shown great results," he said. "To have 15 athletes recognized by the NJCAA is an accomplishment in and of itself but what is more important is that our athletes are learning."
Overall, ASCC's athletic department has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.04.
"We've really seen a lot of improvement academically from our athletes," Head related. "It is paying off in a lot of ways. For example, every one of our sophomores will graduate by the end of this summer term. I am very proud of our athletes, our coaches and our entire college for working hard to make that happen."