Ithaca, NY – Nine Centenary gymnasts were named Academic All-Americans for the 2022-23 academic year by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA), the organization announced on Thursday.
Brown University, Texas Woman's University and the University of Minnesota posted the top three team grade-point averages (GPAs) for the 2022-23 academic year based on data submitted to the organization. Centenary's 3.39 team GPA ranked 68th in the country among all divisions (D1/II/III).
"Once again, our student-athletes continue to pursue excellence in the classroom at an incredibly high level. To see such amazing academic results, year in and year out, shows how dedicated our gymnasts are in all areas of their college experience," Melanie Hall, WCGA Chair of the Board and Head coach at Cornell University, said. "Across all conferences and divisions, the passion, grit, determination and constant time management skills our athletes display, is truly inspiring."
Overall, 1,075 student-athletes earned a 3.5 or higher GPA on a 4.0 scale, 68.65% of all reporting gymnasts, and the 2nd most ever by total number and percentage (since 2008). There were 228 (14.56%) student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA. This was the third year in a row with more than 1,000 Scholastic All-America winners, and four of the top five universities broke into the lineup for the first time ever! Across all gymnasts this year, the average GPA was a 3.5685 which is the 3rd highest (since available records in 2015), 54 institutions had a team GPA of a 3.5 or better, and in seven of the last eight years, at least one institution each year has had 100% of its athletes qualify for this prestigious award.
All nine Ladies honored boasted a 3.5 overall grade point average or better and two Ladies –senior Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas), and senior Kennedy Stephens (Bella Vista, Ark.) achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA and were just two of 228 (14.56%) student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA.
The other seven Ladies honored are senior Rose Deshler (Hastings, Minn.), junior Isabel Plaza (San Antonio, Texas), senior Taylor Ann Wilson (Memphis, Tenn.), sophomore Emma Lavelle (Mandeville, La.), sophomore Carissa Martinez (Albuquerque, N.M.), freshman Sophie Schmitz (Trophy Club, Texas), and freshman Olivia Stratmann (Houston, Texas).
The complete list of Ladies and majors is below:
Senior Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas): Accounting and Business
Senior Kennedy Stephens (Bella Vista, Ark.): Psychology
Senior Rose Deshler (Hastings, Minn.): Biology and Neuroscience
Junior Isabel Plaza (San Antonio, Texas): Biology
Senior Taylor Ann Wilson (Memphis, Tenn.): Biology
Sophomore Emma Lavelle (Mandeville, La.): Biology and Math
Sophomore Carissa Martinez (Albuquerque, N.M.), Communication
Freshman Sophie Schmitz (Trophy Club, Texas), Business
Freshman Olivia Stratmann (Houston, Texas), Kinesiology
The WCGA is the advocate for women's collegiate gymnastics.
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