Aug 01, 2023

🏀 FHSU women sixth on WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Rroll

Posted Aug 01, 2023 3:04 PM
The Fort Hays State women's basketball teams huddles before the start of their game with Missouri Western State on Janaury 26, 2023 at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Madison Shapland)
The Fort Hays State women's basketball teams huddles before the start of their game with Missouri Western State on Janaury 26, 2023 at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Hays, Kan. (FHSU Athletics photo/Madison Shapland)

FHSU Athletics

  ATLANTA - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team posted the second-best GPA in program history during the 2022-23 season, with the Tigers ranking sixth in Division II on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.805. It is the 12th time the Tigers cracked the top 25 during Tony Hobson's 15-year tenure as head coach, including their fifth appearance inside the top 10.

Fort Hays State is the top-ranked MIAA program on the list again this season, with the Tigers doing so in five of the last six years. Two other league schools are ranked in the top 25 in No. 22 Central Missouri and No. 23 Northwest Missouri State.

The Tigers placed 13 student-athletes on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll this season, including three that earned the MIAA Academic Excellence Award and two that received the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award. Kate DilsaverMegan Earney and Ellie Stearns all received the MIAA Academic Excellence Award for maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA, while Olivia Hollenbeck and Katie Wagner were MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award recipients for holding a GPA north of 3.50 in addition to earning All-MIAA status on the court.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 annually recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III; NAIA; and junior/community college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined grade point average (GPA) inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2022-23 season is the 27th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls. This year's release marks the second year in which all teams which reported a minimum 3.0 GPA also are recognized for their academic accomplishment.

Fort Hays State's historical rankings in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll and the complete 2022-23 Top 25 can be found below.

FHSU in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll
Year | Rank - GPA
2022-23 | 6th - 3.805
2021-22 | 1st - 3.814
2020-21 | 3rd - 3.764
2018-19 | 6th - 3.708
2017-18 | 13th - 3.667
2016-17 | 13th - 3.624
2015-16 | 22nd - 3.559
2014-15 | 23rd - 3.536
2012-13 | 14th - 3.500
2011-12 | 4th - 3.628
2010-11 | 12th - 3.523
2009-10 | T14th - 3.473
2002-03 | 16th - 3.444

Rank - Institution - Head Coach - GPA
1 - Upper Iowa - Justin Maass - 3.894
2 - Lubbock Christian - Steve Gomez - 3.882
3 - University of Montevallo - Gary Van Atta - 3.841
4 - Ashland - Kari Pickens - 3.826
5 - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (FL) - Lisa Wilson - 3.822
6 - Fort Hays State - Tony Hobson - 3.805
7 - Rockhurst - Larry Park - 3.776
8 - Lee - Marty Rowe - 3.763
9 - Mercyhurst - Brooklyn Kohlheim - 3.753
T10 - University of Wisconsin Parkside - Jen Conely - 3.740
T10 - Montana State - Billings - Kevin Woodin - 3.740
12 - William Jewell College - Jill Slominski - 3.736
T13 - Northern Michigan - Casey Thousand - 3.723
T13 - Fort Lewis College - Taylor Harris - 3.723
15 - McKendree - Kari Kerkhoff - 3.719
16 - Tiffin - Josh Mason - 3.713
17 - Truman State - Theo Dean III - 3.707
18 - Maryville - Brita Hand - 3.706
19 - Kutztown - Janet Malouf - 3.701
T20 - Missouri University of Science and Technology - Kira Carter - 3.695
T20 - Southwest Minnesota State - Tom Webb - 3.695
22 - Central Missouri - David Slifer - 3.694
23 - Northwest Missouri State - Austin Meyer - 3.690
24 - Pace - Carrie Seymour - 3.688
25 - St. Cloud State - Lori Fish - 3.682

Special Mention: Thomas Jefferson, Tom Shirley, 3.674; Alaska Fairbanks, Amy Donovan, 3.665; Texas Woman's University, Beth Jillson, 3.659; Seattle Pacific, Mike Simonson, 3.653; Ursuline College, Shannon Sword, 3.648; Pittsburg State, Amanda Davied, 3.644; Northwood, Autumn Haggadone, 3.643; St. Thomas Aquinas College, Bill Cleary, 3.642; California State Polytechnic, Pomona, Danelle Bishop, 3.641; Wayne State (MI), Carrie Lohr, 3.632; Minot State, Michael Brandt, 3.630; Point Loma Nazarene, Charity Elliott, 3.629; California State East Bay, Jenny Thigpin, 3.627; Michigan Technological, Samantha Clayton, 3.616; Minnesota State, Emilee Thiesse, 3.606; Oklahoma Baptist, Bo Overton, 3.600; East Stroudsburg, Stephanie Del Preore, 3.590; Wingate, Ann Hancock, 3.589; Seton Hill, Mark Katarski, 3.577; Winona State , Ana Wurtz, 3.568; Adelphi, Sade Jackson, 3.563; Columbus State, Matt Houser, 3.552; West Liberty, Kyle Cooper, 3.547; Florida Southern College, Megan Dzikas, 3.547; Harding, Tim Kirby, 3.520; Northwest Nazarene, Steve Steele, 3.518; Southern New Hampshire, Karen Pinkos, 3.516; D'Youville, Alison Bouman, 3.502; Hawaii at Hilo, David Kaneshiro, 3.484; Western Washington, Carmen Dolfo, 3.455; Biola, Alan Nakamura, 3.454; Gannon, Cleve Wright, 3.437; Carson-Newman, Michael Mincey, 3.432; West Chester, Kiera Wooden, 3.393; Coker, Melissa DeVore, 3.383; Davenport, Shonda Sanders, 3.375; Union, Mark Campbell, 3.360; Bentley, Carolyn White, 3.359; California State Monterey Bay, Sarah Hopkins-Chery, 3.340; Azusa Pacific, T.J. Hardeman, 3.315; Assumption, Kerry Phayre, 3.298; Chowan, Lenise Stallings, 3.273; California State, Dominguez Hills, John Bonner, 3.224; West Florida, Stephanie Yelton, 3.215; California State, Los Angeles, Torino Johnson, 3.129; California State, San Bernardino, Casandra Renno, 3.108; North Carolina at Pembroke, John Haskins, 3.077; Converse, Samantha Davidson, 3.065.