By Todd Moore, Barton Athletics
Forty-five percent of student-athletes from Barton Community College have been awarded All-Academic honors announced by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Barton's 126 student-athletes were among 9,912 across the NJCAA earning a spot on one of three All-Academic teams for the 2021-22 school year. Overall, the Department carried a 3.30 GPA to exceed the previous year's 3.25 GPA average.
Fifty-eight Cougars joined 2,852 nation-wide recipients earning a perfect 4.0 GPA achievement to earn 1st team distinction.
Barton had twenty-eight total on the second team of 3.80-3.99 GPA earners with an additional forty on the third squad of having a 3.60-3.79 GPA.
The Barton volleyball team captured its third consecutive "Academic Team of the Year" crown under Head Coach Alan Segal. Compiling a 3.95 combined GPA, the Cougars led the entire NJCAA membership for the second straight year as all fifteen roster members earned All-Academic honors including twelve with perfect 4.0 classroom performances.
Also earning the top team awards were the women's basketball and women's tennis teams.
Head Coach Alan Clark's women's basketball team had seven perfect 4.0 students amongst their twelve academic honor achievers while Head Coach Lyle Stickney's women's tennis squad had three of their five honorees earning first team distinction.
In addition to team champion's 1st team selections, Brent Biggs' baseball team placed seven on the first team with Ousmane Camara's women's soccer team earning six of the perfect classroom achievements.
Biggs' baseball program led all Barton squads with seventeen total academic awards behind a 3.44 cumulative GPA in placing 15th nationally overall.
Two teams finished national runner-up in their respective sport. The men's soccer squad, who tied the volleyball team for a department second most honorees with fifteen, accumulated a runner-up 3.58 GPA while the women's swimming team also placed second in carrying a 3.41 team average.