Sesser-Valier’s Nick Marlo, Benton’s Aubrey Hunter recieve NJCAA academic awards

Reece Rutland – Rend Lake College Sports Information

Rend Lake College has nominated 22 student athletes and three teams for their high academic achievement in the 2016-17 year. The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) will honor the students in upcoming weeks.

Eight different Warrior teams had at least one athlete nominated for their prowess in the classroom. Student athletes earning a GPA (grade point average) of 4.0 on a 4.0 scale are nominated for the NJCAA Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence, the highest award available. Athletes earning between a 3.80 and 3.99 GPA are nominated for the NJCAA Award for Superior Academic Achievement. The last award is for students earning GPAs between 3.60 and 3.79: the NJCAA Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement.

The Women’s Softball team led all sports in nominations. They were anchored by a trio of Pinnacle Award nominees in Hillary Ingram (McLeansboro) and Tori Pasley (Bluford). They were followed by teammates Breya Cooper (Henderson, Ky.) with a 3.91 GPA, Aubrey Hunter (Benton) with a 3.87 GPA and Nicole Johnson (Johnston City) with a 3.81 GPA, all nominated for the Superior Award. Hannah Carbonaro (Mt. Vernon) GPA 3.73 and Megan Rudolphi (Mascoutah) GPA 3.7 received Exemplary award nominations.

As a team, softball earned a collective 3.20 GPA, marking their fifth year in a row that the team has been nominated as an All-Academic Team.  The NJCAA recognizes the team with the highest overall GPA for their sport as the Academic Team of the Year. To qualify, teams must have a combined GPA above 3.0.

Warrior Volleyball also had a strong showing with four members making the cut. Dana Rubenacker (Dahlgren), Danielle Sitzes (Cisne) and Alexandria Kubiak (Nashville), all three finishing the year with perfect 4.0 for Pinnacle nominations. Ryann French (Woodlawn) earned a 3.62 GPA for an Exemplary nomination.

As a squad, the Volleyball crew notched a collective 3.17 GPA for a team nomination.

Women’s Golf also had a pair of perfects in Taylor Aldridge (Eldorado) and Morgan Wilson (Effingham) with 4.0s. Marion Debove (Belloy-en-France) had a 3.76 GPA, good for an Exemplary nomination. The team also rounded out group honors with a 3.19 GPA.

Nick Marlo (Sesser) with the Warrior Basketball team finished the year at 4.0 for a Pinnacle nomination. He was joined in individual honors by teammate Lucas Wilson (Mt. Vernon) with a 3.78 GPA for Exemplary consideration.

Pinnacle nominations are rounded out by Women Tennis player Ashley West (Salem)

Both Men’s Golf and Baseball had two nominated for individual honors.

For golf, Kyler Spencer (Nashville) had a 3.9 GPA and Sean Scott (Waltonville) ha d a 3.89 GPA to earn them both Superior award consideration.

Baseball is represented by Zachary Zarifian (Beach Park) with a 3.69 and Ian Walters (Paduach, Ky.) with a 3.62 for Exemplary nominations.  And for Womens Basektball, Michaela O’Neal (Bloomington) concludes individual honors on behalf of Women’s Basketball. She earned a 3.71 GPA for an Exemplary nomination.