JACKSON – The newly released 2012-13 MACJC Academic All-State Team includes 26 Northwest Mississippi Community College student-athletes, tied for second-best in the league among 14 schools. 

Northwest's academic all-state selections have increased the past three seasons from 17 to 19 to 26. 

To qualify, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.25, have completed three full-time semesters of college work (45 hours) and competed in at least one season of a varsity sport.

Earning individual honors from softball were Casey Baddley (3.94), Emily Hatcher (3.90), Vicki Johnson (3.70), Anna Barham (3.60) and Lauren Riley (3.57). Baddley and Hatcher earned top honors by being named Distinguished Academic All-State.

From the Brazos Valley Bowl champion football team, Cor'tez Hibbler (3.55), J.D. Fondon (3.39), Chase Carpenter (3.35), Will Reynolds (3.35) and Austin Douglas (3.25) earned recognition. 

Cody Carson (3.68), Jim Tom Copeland (3.56), Nick Whitfield (3.33), Walt McCullough (3.31) and Reed Davis (3.25) earned honors from the baseball team as well as Peyton Smith (3.73), Amanda Hinton (3.55), Allie Hodges (3.50), Robbie Fox (3.50) and Abin Matthew (3.41) from the men's and women's soccer teams.

Men's golf had two selections in Jack Byrd (3.73) and Chad Cupples (3.41), rodeo had two in Lauren Sanders (3.77) and Morgan Winters (3.31) and Jearica McBride (3.42) and Ashley Roberson (3.56) were the lone representatives from the women's basketball and tennis teams.  

Eight teams also earned MACJC Academic All-State recognition, maintaining a 2.5 GPA or better. Women's tennis led the way with a 3.45 GPA, followed by softball (3.43), women's soccer (3.19), men's golf (3.12), baseball (2.92), men's soccer (2.88), women's basketball (2.85) and men's tennis (2.80).