Women's Basketball Ranks No. 1 — Academically
The Michigan Tech women’s basketball team, which spent a large part of the 2009-10 season ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division II, also finished with the nation’s top grade point average, according to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association 2010 Academic Top 25 list released this week. The Huskies’ 3.732 GPA was higher than any women’s basketball team in any division in the nation.
“The team worked so hard at everything they did last year, and it showed,” said head coach Kim Cameron, who served as assistant coach a year ago. “Not everyone sees the behind-the-scenes effort it takes, and I’m happy that they are being recognized for it. I am so proud of them!”
On the court, Michigan Tech accumulated a 31-3 record and won a second straight NCAA Midwest Regional Championship in 2009-10. The Huskies also claimed the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division regular season title and the GLIAC Tournament championship.
Tech has been among the top four in Division II each of the last four years and listed in the WBCA Academic Top 25 seven times since the organization began compiling team GPAs in 1997-98.
“The student-athletes in the women’s basketball program really epitomize the Division II philosophy,” said Michigan Tech athletic director Suzanne Sanregret. “They balance academics and athletics extremely well and excel at both. I am very proud of what they accomplish on the court and in the classroom.
“I commend the coaching staff for fostering an environment where both are a priority, and I congratulate the ladies on the national recognition they have earned.”
The other top five Division II teams on the WBCA Academic Top 25 list were Chadron State (3.641), Rockhurst (3.635), Saint Marting (3.591) and fellow GLIAC member Ashland (3.551).
The other division leaders were Utah Valley (3.630) in Division I, Carnegie Mellon (3.616) in Division III, Dana (3.727) in NAIA and Sheridan (3.575) in the junior college/community college category.
The full WBCA Division II Academic Top 25 list is below.
| School | 2009-10 Head Coach | Team GPA | |
| 1 | Michigan Technological University | John Barnes | 3.732 |
| 2 | Chadron State College | Tim Connealy | 3.641 |
| 3 | Rockhurst University | Larry Park | 3.635 |
| 4 | Saint Martin’s University | Timothy Healy | 3.591 |
| 5 | Ashland University | Sue Ramsey | 3.551 |
| 6 | Holy Family University | Mark Miller | 3.548 |
| 7 | Regis University | Linda Raunig | 3.732 |
| 8 | Saint Thomas Aquinas | Kim Lusk | 3.524 |
| 9 | Missouri Western State | Lynn Plett | 3.521 |
| 10 | Maryville University-St Louis | Chris Ellis | 3.517 |
| 11 | University of Findlay | Kate Cummings | 3.506 |
| 12 | Gannon University | Cleve Wright | 3.491 |
| 13 | Adelphi University | Heather Jacobs | 3.474 |
| T14 | Seton Hill University | Ferne Labati | 3.473 |
| T14 | Fort Hays State University | Tony Hobson | 3.473 |
| 16 | Northwood University | Jeff Curtis | 3.466 |
| 17 | Saint Michael’s College | Jennifer Niebling | 3.464 |
| 18 | Wayne State College | Chris Kielsmeier | 3.454 |
| 19 | Montana State University - Billings | Kevin Woodin | 3.451 |
| 20 | Winona State University | Scott Ballard | 3.446 |
| 21 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | Deirdre Kane | 3.443 |
| 22 | University of South Carolina - Aiken | Michael Brandt | 3.442 |
| 23 | Fort Lewis College | Mark Kellogg | 3.428 |
| 24 | West Liberty University | Lynn Ullom | 3.408 |
| 25 | University of Nebraska - Omaha | Patricia Shearer | 3.403 |
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
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