Eastern Michigan Athletics
Women's Hoops Earns WBCA Academic Top-25 Special Mention
7/22/2025 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The team's 3.597 cumulative GPA ranked 30th in the nation
ATLANTA, Ga. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball program earned a Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top-25 Special Mention as it posted a top-30 team cumulative GPA in the nation in the 2024-25 season, the organization announced Tuesday, July 22.
The team's 3.597 cumulative GPA ranked 30th in the nation out of 362 NCAA Division I programs and comes after it recorded a program-record 3.676 cumulative GPA in the 2025 winter semester, besting its previous program record of 3.510 set in the 2024 fall semester. Additionally, former Eagles Kyndal Lewis, Olivia Westphal, and Elena Cabello were named to the Academic All-MAC team, April 18, and Cabello, Westphal, and Mackenzie Amalia garnered College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, March 27.
Furthermore, in the 2024 fall semester 13 Eagles recorded a GPA above 3.00 while four had a perfect 4.00. In the winter, 12 went above 3.00 and another four notched a 4.00.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes college women's basketball teams across the nation in their respective divisions that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2024-25 season is the 30th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, St. Cloud State University, Colorado College, University of the Cumberlands, and Colby Community College sit atop their respective divisions in the 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls announced today by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Green Bay, coached by Kayla Karius, finished first among NCAA Division I members with a 3.862 cumulative team grade-point average. St. Cloud State, coached by Lori Fish, claimed top academic honors in NCAA Division II with a 3.892 GPA. Colorado College, coached by Katherine Menendez, took top honors in NCAA Division III with a 3.864 GPA. Cumberlands, coached by Rick Reeves, was No. 1 in the NAIA division with a 3.837 GPA. Colby, coached by Darin Spence, finished atop the two-year college standings with a 3.662 GPA.
"The WBCA is pleased to recognize those women's basketball programs that have committed themselves to excellence on the court and in the classroom," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "The 119 teams we honor this year strive to achieve all-around success and we commend their efforts. Congratulations!"
Here are the 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls. The head coach listed for each institution was its head coach during the 2024-25 season. Teams having a 3.0 combined GPA and qualifying for consideration for the top 25 in their respective divisions are listed as special mentions.
NCAA Division I
The team's 3.597 cumulative GPA ranked 30th in the nation out of 362 NCAA Division I programs and comes after it recorded a program-record 3.676 cumulative GPA in the 2025 winter semester, besting its previous program record of 3.510 set in the 2024 fall semester. Additionally, former Eagles Kyndal Lewis, Olivia Westphal, and Elena Cabello were named to the Academic All-MAC team, April 18, and Cabello, Westphal, and Mackenzie Amalia garnered College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, March 27.
Furthermore, in the 2024 fall semester 13 Eagles recorded a GPA above 3.00 while four had a perfect 4.00. In the winter, 12 went above 3.00 and another four notched a 4.00.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes college women's basketball teams across the nation in their respective divisions that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2024-25 season is the 30th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, St. Cloud State University, Colorado College, University of the Cumberlands, and Colby Community College sit atop their respective divisions in the 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls announced today by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Green Bay, coached by Kayla Karius, finished first among NCAA Division I members with a 3.862 cumulative team grade-point average. St. Cloud State, coached by Lori Fish, claimed top academic honors in NCAA Division II with a 3.892 GPA. Colorado College, coached by Katherine Menendez, took top honors in NCAA Division III with a 3.864 GPA. Cumberlands, coached by Rick Reeves, was No. 1 in the NAIA division with a 3.837 GPA. Colby, coached by Darin Spence, finished atop the two-year college standings with a 3.662 GPA.
"The WBCA is pleased to recognize those women's basketball programs that have committed themselves to excellence on the court and in the classroom," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "The 119 teams we honor this year strive to achieve all-around success and we commend their efforts. Congratulations!"
Here are the 2024-25 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls. The head coach listed for each institution was its head coach during the 2024-25 season. Teams having a 3.0 combined GPA and qualifying for consideration for the top 25 in their respective divisions are listed as special mentions.
NCAA Division I
| Rank | Institution | Head Coach | GPA |
| 1 | UW-Green Bay | Kayla Karius | 3.862 |
| 2 | Boise State | Gordy Presnell | 3.803 |
| 3 | Youngstown State | Melissa Jackson | 3.781 |
| 4 | Western Illinois | JD Gravina | 3.775 |
| 5 | South Dakota State | Aaron Johnston | 3.760 |
| 6 | Creighton | Jim Flanery | 3.757 |
| 7 | DePaul | Jill Pizzotti | 3.750 |
| 8 | Drake | Allison Pohlman | 3.741 |
| 9 | California Baptist | Jarrod Olson | 3.733 |
| 10 | Utah Valley | Dan Nielson | 3.716 |
| 11 | Davidson | Gayle Fulks | 3.711 |
| 12 | Saint Peter's | Jennifer Leedham | 3.700 |
| 13 | Tennessee Tech | Kim Rosamond | 3.699 |
| 14 | Montana State | Tricia Binford | 3.694 |
| 15 | Wyoming | Heather Ezell | 3.692 |
| 16 | Maine | Amy Vachon | 3.691 |
| 17 | Cleveland State | Chris Kielsmeier | 3.685 |
| 18 | Northern Kentucky | Jeff Hans | 3.678 |
| 19 | Kent State | Todd Starkey | 3.669 |
| T20 | Manhattan | Heather Vulin | 3.667 |
| T20 | UW-Milwaukee | Kyle Rechlicz | 3.667 |
| 22 | Iowa State | Bill Fennelly | 3.658 |
| 23 | Lafayette | Kia Damon-Olson | 3.630 |
| 24 | Purdue Fort Wayne | Maria Marchesano | 3.624 |
| 25 | Northern Iowa | Tanya Warren | 3.621 |
Special Mention: East Tennessee State, Brenda Mock Brown, 3.616; Lehigh, Addie Micir, 3.615; Portland, Michael Meek, 3.605; Quinnipiac, Tricia Fabbri, 3.602; Eastern Michigan, Sahar Nusseibeh, 3.597; Illinois, Shauna Green, 3.597; Georgia State, Gene Hill, 3.587; Northern Illinois, Lisa Carlson, 3.585; Marist, Erin Doughty, 3.584; South Florida, Jose Fernandez, 3.584; Stonehill College , Trisha Brown, 3.583; NJIT, Mike Lane, 3.581; Illinois State, Kristen Gillespie, 3.581; Nebraska, Amy Williams, 3.579; Cincinnati, Katrina Merriweather, 3.576; West Georgia, Joanna Reitz, 3.571; Fairleigh Dickinson, Stephanie Gaitley, 3.541; Belmont, Bart Brooks, 3.540; Northern Colorado, Kristen Mattio, 3.536; North Carolina, Courtney Banghart, 3.532; Eastern Illinois, Marqus Mcglothan, 3.530; Michigan State, Robyn Fralick, 3.530; Indiana, Teri Moren, 3.528; Portland State, Chelsey Gregg, 3.528; Albany, Colleen Mullen, 3.525; Minnesota, Dawn Plitzuweit, 3.521; Abilene Christian, Julie Goodenough, 3.511; Colorado State, Ryun Williams, 3.511; Kentucky, Kenny Brooks, 3.504; Saint Joseph's, Cindy Griffin, 3.503; Iowa, Jan Jensen, 3.495; Richmond, Aaron Roussell, 3.492; SIUE, Samantha Quigley Smith, 3.489; Drexel, Amy Mallon, 3.489; California, Charmin Smith, 3.462; Duke, Kara Lawson, 3.456; Merrimack, Kelly Morrone, 3.454; UAB, Randy Norton, 3.447; Sacramento State, Aaron Kallhoff, 3.447; Pennsylvania, Michael Mclaughlin, 3.446; South Carolina, Dawn Staley, 3.438; Alabama, Kristy Curry, 3.432; Missouri, Robin Pingeton, 3.431; Robert Morris, Chandler McCabe, 3.431; Northwestern, Joe McKeown, 3.427; Miami, Tricia Cullop, 3.426; Missouri State, Beth Cunningham, 3.426; Denver, Doshia Woods, 3.425; Texas A&M, Joni Taylor, 3.422; Bradley, Kate Popovec-Goss, 3.398; UNC Greensboro, Trina Patterson, 3.395; Liberty, Carey Green, 3.394; Fairfield, Carly Thibault-Dudonis, 3.392; Lipscomb, Lauren Sumski, 3.377; Texas Tech, Krista Gerlich, 3.376; Florida State, Brooke Wyckoff, 3.375; Temple, Diane Richardson, 3.373; Texas, Vic Schaefer, 3.372; Longwood , Erika Lang-Montgomery, 3.369; Vanderbilt, Shea Ralph, 3.367; Hofstra, Danielle Santos, 3.366; Colorado, Jr Payne, 3.366; Louisville, Jeff Walz, 3.363; Virginia Tech, Megan Duffy, 3.360; UNC Asheville, Tynesha Lewis, 3.358; USC, Lindsay Gottlieb, 3.348; Marquette, Cara Consuegra, 3.345; Hawaii, Laura Beeman, 3.343; Yale, Dalila Eshe, 3.338; Oklahoma, Jennie Baranczyk, 3.334; Tennessee, Kim Caldwell, 3.323; Kansas State, Jeff Mittie, 3.317; Notre Dame, Niele Ivey, 3.314; Elon, Charlotte Smith, 3.271; Ohio State, Kevin Mcguff, 3.263; Oklahoma State, Jacie Hoyt, 3.254; West Virginia, Mark Kellogg, 3.242; Akron, Ryan Gensler, 3.225; Seton Hall, Anthony Bozzella, 3.205; UNLV, Lindy La Rocque, 3.201; BYU, Lee Cummard, 3.189; Oregon, Kelly Graves, 3.168; Georgia Tech, Nell Fortner, 3.162; Baylor, Nicki Collen, 3.133; North Texas, Jason Burton, 3.128; Connecticut, Geno Auriemma, 3.061; Tulsa, Angie Nelp, 3.047; Troy, Chanda Rigby, 3.046; Georgetown, Darnell Haney, 3.008; Navy, Tim Taylor, 3.005.
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