South Georgia Tech Lady Jets earn 2023 – 2024 NJCAA Division I Academic Team Award with ninth highest team GPA in nation
Charlotte, NC -The South Georgia Technical College Lady Jets women’s basketball team earned the 2023 – 2024 NJCAA Women’s Basketball Division I Academic Team Award for a cumulative grade point average of 3.60. This was the ninth highest GPA in the nation in the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball league. In addition to that honor, seven Lady Jets and four Jets were also All-Academic Team individual members.
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford is shown above congratulating SGTC Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach Jason Carpenter for his women’s basketball team finishing the season with the ninth highest GPA in the nation.
The SGTC Lady Jets were the only Georgia two-year college to make the NJCAA National Division I Academic Team award list and they were the only team to have an individual Academic Team first team nomination for the Jets and Lady Jets.
“I would like to commend SGTC Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach Jason Carpenter and his team for that outstanding academic effort,” said SGTC President Dr. John Watford. “At South Georgia Technical College, we recognize that our athletes are students first. They are responsible for taking care of business in the classroom before they step on the court. We are extremely proud of the Lady Jets as well as the individual players who made the All-Academic team from the Jets and the Lady Jets.”
SGTC Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach Jason Carpenter echoed Dr. Watford’s comments. “The academic achievement of our team as a whole and the individuals specifically recognized is emblematic of not only their dedication on and off the floor but also the wealth of academic resources and assistance available to ensure the students here at South Georgia Tech are successful.”
He also added, “we pride ourselves in being a launching pad for our student-athletes to the next level and their academic success is ever bit as vital to their advancement as their athletic prowess. This recognition is a product of a campus wide commitment to building better people, better students, and better athletes here at South Georgia Tech.”
Two players, Jets 6’ 2” freshman point guard Harley Kent of Byron Bay, Australia, and Lady Jets Maeva Fotsa, a 6’ 2” sophomore from Quebec, Canada, were both First team All-Academics with perfect 4.0 GPAs last season. Lady Jets freshman Maria Diaz, freshman Maria Favero, sophomore Vera Gunaydin and freshman Enola Papin were named to the second All-Academic team with 3.8 – 3.99 GPAs and sophomore Mohand Ammad and sophomore Noah Barnett were selected for the second team from the Jets.
Lady Jets sophomore Greta Carollo and freshman Mio Sakano and Jets sophomore Israel Momodu were on the third team All-Academic squad for 3.6 – 3.79 GPAs.
In order to be named to the NJCAA All-Academic Team, student athletes achieve an overall GPA of 3.60 or higher for the 2023 – 2024 academic year. The NJCAA All-Academic First Team members must have a 4.00 GPA. To be selected to the NJCAA All-Academic Second Team, players must have a 3.80 – 3.99 GPA. Those players with a 3.60 – 3.79 GPA qualified for the NJCAA All-Academic Third team.
Miles Community College had the highest GPA in the NJCAA Division I women’s basketball league in the nation with a 3.76. Lincoln Land Community College came in second with a 3.73; Odessa College was third with a 3.70, Utah State University Eastern finished in fourth with a 3.69 and Northern Oklahoma College – Enid was ranked fifth with a 3.66 GPA.
Madiosn College came in sixth with a 3.65 GPA. McCook Community College earned seventh place with a 3.64 and Olney Center College was eighth with a 3.61. South Georgia Technical College finished ninth in the nation with the 3.6 GPA and was the only Georgia women’s basketball team listed as an All-Academic team.
The SGTC Lady Jets finished the 2023 – 2024 season with a 21 – 11 record in Jason Carpenter’s first season as head coach and Athletic Director. The 2024 – 2025 season will be the 20th anniversary season for the Lady Jets. The Jets finished the season with a 17 – 11 record.