The NJCAA released its 2023-24 All-Academic teams this month to honor student-athletes at the nation’s two-year colleges for classroom success, including 20 from Pitt Community College.
All told, 12,245 student-athletes from across the country were recognized for recording an overall GPA of 3.60 or higher during the 2023-24 academic year. The criteria for All-Academic team inclusion were as follows:
All-Academic First Team: 4.00 GPAAll-Academic Second Team: 3.80-3.99 GPAAll-Academic Third Team: 3.60-3.79 GPA
Eight PCC student-athletes were among the 3,424 nationally who garnered First-Team NJCAA honors, and four more were part of the Second Team, which was comprised of 4,013 student-athletes. Eight Bulldogs joined 4,800 of their peers in earning Third-Team recognition.
“Our student-athletes’ continued commitment to excel in the classroom is a direct reflection of our student-athletes, coaches and support staff believing in the value of higher education,” PCC Athletics Director Dawn Manning said. “Our coaches and staff work tirelessly to give our student-athletes the skillset to be well-rounded students first and athletes second, while promoting teamwork, character, personal growth and so much more.”
Manning says junior college athletics programs have an opportunity to “make a huge impact in a short amount of time” on student-athletes.
“We are investing in a person with each and every student-athlete who comes through our program,” she said. “Success is measured in so many different forms, but to see these young people achieving their goals and chasing their dreams, there is no better feeling.”
Of Pitt’s first-teamers, five were from baseball: sophomores Thomas Bowman, Michael Gordon and Archie Herring and freshmen Jan Pospisil and Billy Waldron. Two volleyball players, sophomores Alaina Johnson and Dakota Newberry, were also on the First Team, along with softball freshman Alexis Wahle. Bowman was on last year’s All-Academic Second Team and Herring was a third-teamer, while Gordon and Newberry were first-teamers a year ago, meaning they had 4.0 GPAs throughout their PCC careers.
Earlier this year, Gordon and softball’s Samantha Taylor received PCC Student-Athlete Awards in recognition of academic achievement, good sportsmanship, and the positive impact they’ve had on their teams and communities. Both student-athletes majored in Associate in Arts and received their honors during Pitt’s annual Academic Excellence Awards Ceremony in March.
Representing Pitt on the NJCAA’s All-Academic Second Team were baseball’s Regan Bernard and Hunter Whitten, a sophomore who was a second-teamer last year as well. Softball’s Hannah Meads and Makayla Sasnett were on the All-Academic Second Team. Sasnett, a freshman, also represented PCC volleyball on the second team.
Five baseball players earned Third-Team honors: sophomores Nathan Brown, Mason Howell, Matt McCray and Evan Wyrick and freshman Hank Downum. Sophomore Carl Roberts represented the PCC men’s basketball squad on the third team, and softball’s Madison Hall and Amber Speight were also third-teamers. Hall also represented PCC volleyball on the third team as well.
A total of 26 student-athletes from Pitt, representing all four of the college’s intercollegiate athletic teams, graduated in May. Combined, the 15 baseball, three men’s basketball, six softball and two volleyball players recorded a 3.45 cumulative GPA.
“I have the honor of working with our PCC student-athletes from the moment they step on campus to the moment that they graduate,” said PCC Athletics Academic Advisor Brooke Green. “It’s always bittersweet being able to see their growth over the two years they are at Pitt Community College and see them cross the graduation stage to receive their diplomas. I’m proud and honored to work with these incredible student-athletes and see the hard work they put in on a day-to-day basis with their academics.”
A complete list of student-athletes honored by the NJCAA this month is available at njcaa.org.
Need-based scholarship available as application deadline nears
Less than a month from the start of fall classes at Pitt, the PCC Foundation is reminding students that money for need-based scholarships is still available and the organization will continue accepting applications for that funding through July 31.
According to PCC Scholarships Coordinator Kim Simpkins, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and demonstrate unmet financial need to apply for need-based scholarships. They must have also submitted a PCC admissions application prior to filling out a PCC Foundation general scholarship application available at pittccfoundation.com/scholarships/applying-for-scholarships.
Simpkins says the foundation has awarded need-based scholarships totaling nearly $13,000 so far this month and is still targeting students who have unmet financial need after completing FAFSAs. Applicants, she said, must meet several eligibility criteria, including at least 2.5 GPA.
“The PCC Foundation is prioritizing students who enrolled at Pitt after April 1, because they didn’t have an opportunity to apply for scholarships during our spring application window,” Simpkins said. “We’re also concentrating on students who are not receiving significant amounts of federal or state financial aid.”
Students approved for need-based scholarships will have the awards credited to their PCC accounts. The funding can be used to help cover the cost of tuition and fees and may also be used in the college bookstore to purchase books.
For more information on the PCC Foundation’s need-based scholarships, students may contact Simpkins at 493-7902 or kgsimpkins818@my.pittcc.edu.
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