Kirkwood team sharp on the field and in the classroom, saluted by NFCA
When the Kirkwood Community College softball players aren’t studying game strategies, it seems obvious that they are studying everything else. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced its Girls Got Game Top Ten All-Academic Teams Sept. 30. In the “junior college” division, they cited Kirkwood’s program as ninth in the nation in terms of team-wide grade point average.
The Eagles have a 3.277 average grade point across the 19-player roster. The recognition puts Kirkwood in company with such notable two-year schools as Cleveland State Community College of Ohio, Sierra College (Calif.), and Phoenix College (Ariz.).
Head Coach Joe Yegge praised his team and their academic expertise, calling it a “great day for Kirkwood and our student athletes.
“This is an astounding accomplishment for these young ladies, considering how much time they put into their sport daily and how much time they are traveling to games. They have accepted the role of STUDENT athletes so well. When they transfer to four-year colleges they will represent Kirkwood well on the field and in the classroom. I couldn’t be happier right now,” Yegge said.
In announcing the honors, NFCA officials noted Grand Canyon University of Arizona as the top academic program, garnering a team GPA of 3.680. The top two-year college grade point award went to Wallace State Community College—Hanceville. The Alabama college softball team earned a cumulative 3.642 GPA.
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) is the professional growth organization for fastpitch softball coaches from all competitive levels of play. The organization has more than 4,100 members in high school through collegiate programs. The NFCA honors high school and collegiate programs yearly with the Girls Got Game academic awards.