Youngstown -- For the first time in program history, the Youngstown State women's basketball team has been recognized on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll.
The Penguins had a combined grade-point average of 3.395 during the 2010-11 academic year, which ranks them 17th on the top 25 poll. Two other Horizon League teams - Milwaukee and Green Bay - were also in the top 25, giving the league a tie for the most among any conference in the country.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment for our program," YSU head coach Bob Boldon said. "We showed signs of growth on the court this past year, and we backed that up by showing growth in the classroom. Our young ladies worked hard with our staff and academic advisors throughout the year to keep their grades up, and they're to be commended."
Kaitlin Rohrs (Liberty Center, Ohio) posted a 4.0 GPA in both semesters while Liz Hornberger (Reading, Pa.) and Brandi Brown (Pomona, Calif.) had a 4.0 during the spring semester. Bojana Dimitrov (Paracin, Serbia) boasted a 4.0 GPA during the fall semester. Brown was named to the Academic All-Horizon League squad for her efforts on the court and in the classroom, and Dimitrov graduated Magna Cum Laude in May.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 annually recognizes NCAA Divisions I, II and III; NAIA; and junior college/community college 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. The 2010-11 season is the 14th in which the WBCA has presented the standings.
"With the increased importance and scrutiny of the APR (academic progress rate) in the landscape of intercollegiate athletics, these remarkable teams are setting the bar for academic excellence," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "Congratulations to all these STUDENT-athletes and their coaches."
A team's GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of hours attempted by all team members in the academic terms (semesters or quarters) that the season spans. Weighted grades are converted to a 4.0 scale.
