CHARLOTTE - With the 2022-23 academic year now in the rearview mirror, Northwest student-athletes once again took care of business in competition and in the classroom, as 80 Rangers garnered NJCAA All-Academic selections, surpassing last year's previous record of 77.
Northwest landed the most NJCAA All-Academic nods of any other MACCC or Region 23 school, finishing ahead of Mississippi Gulf Coast (74), Copiah-Lincoln (70), Southwest Mississippi (63) and East Central (62).
Although no Northwest team earned outright NJCAA Academic Team of the Year accolades, the Ranger baseball team finished second in the nation with a 3.73 GPA. Only Paris Junior College (Texas) finished higher, with a 3.88 GPA.
Additionally, the Northwest football team joined MACCC foe East Mississippi as one of only two NJCAA programs with a 3.0 GPA or greater. The Rangers were last season's NJCAA Academic Team of the Year and have sported a 3.0 GPA for five straight seasons.
Coach
James Beattie's women's soccer squad also ranked in the top 10 nationally with a 3.59 GPA. Softball (3.67), men's tennis (3.46), volleyball (3.46), women's tennis (3.32) and women's basketball (3.18) rounded out the Northwest teams with GPAs of 3.0 or higher.
To be eligible, student-athletes had to achieve an overall GPA of 3.60 or higher for the 2022-23 academic year. The criteria for the three All-Academic teams are listed below:
- NJCAA All-Academic First Team: 4.00 GPA
- NJCAA All-Academic Second Team: 3.80-3.99 GPA
- NJCAA All-Academic Third Team: 3.60-3.79 GPA
A total of 2,702 student-athletes garnered NJCAA All-Academic First Team honors after achieving a 4.0 GPA. 3,347 student-athletes were named to the NJCAA All-Academic Second Team while 4,117 student-athletes received third team recognition.
To see the full list of NJCAA Academic Teams of the Year, click
here. For a full list of student-athlete award winners, click
here.
NJCAA All-Academic Selections
First Team (4.00 GPA)
Sydney Brazil - Women's Basketball
Mia Kate Cade - Women's Soccer
Evie Crawford - Women's Soccer
Hayes Davis - Baseball
Kylie Gurley - Softball
Allyson Harrison - Softball
Jacia Hayes - Volleyball
Jacob Hill - Baseball
Caroline Howard - Volleyball
Larson Ingram - Baseball
Cade Leatherwood - Baseball
Peyton Martin - Baseball
Kaleb Parish - Men's Tennis
McKaylee "K.K." Polk - Softball
Mason Shropshire - Baseball
Hailey Stephens - Volleyball
Chloe Summerford - Softball
Reese Vanlandingham - Softball
Caroline Wages - Women's Soccer
Crista Wilson - Softball
Second Team (3.80-3.99 GPA)
Amaya Andrews - Women's Soccer
Rudy Baldwyn - Baseball
Kayla Beal - Volleyball
Kylee Brown - Softball
Cristen Cleveland - Volleyball
Melvin Collins, Jr. - Football
Raylin Dixon - Women's Soccer
Jadyn Duran - Women's Soccer
Zion Edwards - Football
Peter Floyd - Men's Soccer
Kailey Gooch - Volleyball
Kaley Harden - Women's Soccer
Melinda Hernandez - Women's Soccer
Avery Hooker - Women's Soccer
Kara Johnson - Softball
Randi Johnson - Softball
McGheyla Patton - Women's Basketball
Gunner Pitt - Men's Soccer
Jaylen Powell - Football
Lia Ramos - Volleyball/Women's Tennis
Koby Rhone - Men's Soccer
Kaley Rikard - Volleyball
Brayden Sanders - Baseball
Eli Selby - Baseball
Scott Sharp - Baseball
Samuel Turner - Men's Tennis
Jesus Villegas - Men's Soccer
Hadleigh Watson - Women's Soccer
Connor Young - Men's Soccer
Third Team (3.60-3.79 GPA)
Thomas Cheatham - Baseball
Martez Clark - Football
Neely Cooper - Softball
Cy Craig - Baseball
JyKeon Cunningham - Football
Gabby Dickerson - Softball
Logan Eldridge - Baseball
Khamron Ford - Football
Cade Greer - Baseball
Tripp Hardin - Baseball
Cam Heinze - Men's Soccer
Patrick Helms - Football
Jada Jelks - Women's Soccer
Claire Leak - Women's Basketball
Gracie Mettetal - Softball
Jackson Morris - Men's Soccer
Anna Nickens - Softball
Emma Norman - Volleyball
Kaylee Owens - Softball
Rebekah Pilcher - Women's Basketball
Amber Racca - Softball
Brooks Rice - Baseball
Bailey Russell - Softball
James Spratt - Football
Addison Vargas - Women's Soccer
Grace Ann Wade - Women's Tennis
