VC Women's Basketball Earns National Academic Honor

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The Ventura College women's basketball team continues to be the most-recognized academic achieving community college women's basketball program in the country, earning its 15th appearance on the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Honor Roll in the past 16 years for the 2018-19 academic year. The Pirates earned a combined 3.155 team GPA for the year, placing it 12th on the national list released on Tuesday by the WBCA. VC was one of 17 community college teams honored by the coaches association this year and the only program from California.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2018-19 season is the 24th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls. A total of 117 four-year and two-year programs were recognized by the WBCA for academic excellence at all levels of collegiate competition.

A team's GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) earned by the total number of academic hours attempted by all team members in the academic terms (semesters or quarters) that the season spans. Weighted grades are converted to a 4.0 scale. The GPAs are rounded to the nearest thousandth of a point. Teams are nominated for the honor by the WBCA member head coach. A team must have a 3.000 or better GPA to be nominated.

The Pirates have been a model of consistency academically, unmatched among the two-year colleges across the country. In the past 16 years, VC is the only two-year college to be recognized 15 times, while Minnesota West Community and Technical College and Lincoln College (IL) have both achieved the award 11 times. Northwest College (WY) has made the list nine times and Seward County (KS) has been honored eight times over that span.  Solano Community College (four times) and Cypress College (two times) are the only other California community colleges to be recognized by the WBCA for academic excellence in the past 16 years.

In all levels, four-year NAIA school Northwestern College (IA) is the only team that has been recognized more often than VC since 2004.

For the 2018-19 academic year, Ventura earned a 3.250 GPA in the fall and a 3.056 GPA in the spring. Sophomore Cameran Bahnsen and freshman Colleen Clow led the way in the classroom for Ventura with perfect 4.0 GPA's while freshmen Emma Larson and Cece Quintino each achieved above a 3.5 GPA for the year, qualifying them for Academic All-State accolades.

VC earned the No. 12-ranking on this year's list after earning the No. 14 spot a year ago.  In 2017 VC was ranked No. 7, the Pirates' 10th Top-10 nod.  They were No. 14 in 2015-16 after earning a No. 7 ranking in 2014-15. Ventura was ranked No. 6 on the national list in 2012-13 and came in at No. 9 in 2011-12. VC was No. 12 nationally in 2010-11 while earning Nos. 7 and 2 in 2009-10 and 2008-09, respectively. VC placed  No. 6 in 2007-08 and was also ranked No. 7 in 2006-07, No. 16 in 2005-06, No. 8 in 2004-05, and No. 10 in 2003-04. 

"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 117 teams we honor this year strive to achieve all-around success and we commend their efforts. Congratulations!"

2018-19 WBCA Two-Year College Academic Honor Roll

About the Women's Basketball Coaches Association

Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit www.WBCA.org for more details about the Association.