With a 3.79 combined GPA, the Barton Community College women’s tennis team earned the National Junior College Athletic Association Women’s Tennis Academic Team of the Year.
On top of that, the Lady Cougars had the highest combined GPA of any NJCAA team this school year.
“Not only did the they have the highest team GPA for any women’s tennis program, they also had the highest GPA for any team in the NJCAA,” Barton head coach Lyle Stickney said. “This group of young ladies epitomize the label student-athlete. To train and compete at the collegiate level is very time-consuming and for these athletes to excel in the classroom as well as on the court is a true testament to their commitment and dedication.
“With a team GPA averaging 3.79, well, I think this speaks volumes on the caliber of student our tennis program attracts.”
The NJCAA team with the second highest GPA was Daytona State College’s men’s baseball team with a combined 3.74.
The team has a lot of home-grown talent, including — Brooke Tiemeyer of Great Bend, Ashlie Munson, Jamie Christiansen and Michelle Miller of Ellinwood, Karisa Kaiser of Hoisington and Shalee Myers of Tribune.
“We were one of the only teams that played but the new rules where you can only have two international players on the team,” Stickney said. “We did pretty alright this season. We have a lot of players from around the area that come to play.”
The Lady Cougars finished fourth out of five team in the NJCAA Region VI tournament this year with nine points. Cowley finished first with 25.
Christiansen finished third as a No. 4 singles player, and Tiemeyer and Munson combined for third in the No. 3 doubles competition.