South Georgia Technical College and the 2020 – 2021 Lady Jets intercollegiate basketball team tied with Miles Community College from Miles City, Montana for the top spot in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls for two-year colleges.
“This is a great group of young ladies with an incredible work ethic on and off the floor,” said South Georgia Technical College Athletic Director and Lady Jets head coach James Frey. “Academics is a very important part of our athletic program. These young ladies know that they must perform in the class room before they can play on the court.”
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford expressed his congratulations to the Lady Jets and head coach James Frey. “South Georgia Technical College is very pleased to be able to showcase a team with outstanding athletic talent year in and year out. Athletic careers usually have a specific time span, however the information these student athletes acquire in the classroom will be invaluable as they progress to their chosen careers.”
The Lady Jets ended the 2020 – 2021 COVID-19 shortened season with a 22 – 4 overall record and were ranked as one of the top 16 teams in the National Junior College Athletic Association after earning their fifth consecutive trip to the NJCAA women’s Division I National Tournament in Lubbock, Texas. They also captured the NJCAA Region XVII title in 2021.
Off the court, the Lady Jets posted a 3.642 grade point average. That put them in a tie with Miles Community College as the best in the two-year college Academic Honor Roll division. South Georgia Technical College was also the only college from Georgia listed on the two-year Academic Honor Roll as well as in the four-year NCAA Division I, II, and III, and NAIA.
The University of Maine, Lubbock Christian University, Yeshiva University and Taylor University joined South Georgia Technical College and Miles Community College for carrying the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2020-21 season is the 26th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
Main, coached by Amy Vachon, finished first among the NCAA Division I members with a 3.900 cumulative team grade-point average. NCAA Division II national champion Lubbock Christian, coached by Steve Steve Gomez, also claimed the top academic honors in NCAA Division II with a 3.837 GPA. Yeshiva, coached by Bill Zatulskis, took top honors in NCAA Division III with a 3.876 GPA. Taylor, coached by Jody Martinez, was No. 1 in the NAIA division with a 3.777 GPA and then Miles, coached by Taylor Harris, and South Georgia Tech, coached by James Frey, tied for top honors among two-year college members with 3.642 GPAs.
“Congratulations to each of the teams recognized in the 2020-2021 WBCA Academic Top 25,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “Their head coaches are to be commended for fostering an environment of excellence for their student-athletes both on the court and more importantly, in the classroom; particularly with the additional stress this season caused by the uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The SGTC Lady Jets had nine sophomores on the 2020-2021 team. They included: Kamiya Hollingshed, Imani McNeal, Sarah Lwambo, Flore Ngasamputu, Femme Sikuzani, Hope Butera, Moe Shida, Niya McGuire, and Veronica Charles. Each of the sophomores have the opportunity to continue their educational and athletic careers in the upcoming 2021 – 2022 seasons.