The women’s basketball program at South Arkansas Community College recently learned that its 2021-2022 team was among the top 10 finishers for NJCAA Academic Team of the Year in its sport.
The Stars were seventh for the national honor, which is bestowed to the team with the highest mean grade-point average among all NJCAA teams across each sport, regardless of division of play. Their 3.65 grade-point average placed the Stars women second among all NJCAA Division II women’s basketball teams.
There are 135 NJCAA Division II women’s basketball programs and more than 400 total NJCAA women’s basketball programs across the country.
Additionally, four Star student-athletes received individual recognition as NJCAA All-Academic First Team. They were Darbee Forte of Monticello, Addison McNiel of Emerson, Lexi Pyle of Emerson and Christian Marshall of Hermitage. Each completed the academic year with 4.0 grade-point averages.
"I'm so proud of our girls on their academic achievement, both as a team and as individuals,” head coach Nate Evans said. “We take great pride within our program on being relentless in the classroom, and to see it be recognized on a national scale is incredible. These girls have raised the bar high for what it means to be a SouthArk student-athlete.”
Evans also applauded the work of SouthArk instructors and support staff in the academic effort.
“This achievement is also a testimony to the relentless efforts that our faculty and staff sows into our students here at SouthArk,” he said. “It's a great time to be a Star.”
Darbee Forte
Addison McNiel
Christian Marshall
Lexi Pyle
