Williams, Lady Lions earn national honors

By By Staff reports, Hartselle Enquirer
HANCEVILLE - Former Priceville standout Caitlin Williams was one of five Wallace-State Hanceville softball players who earned national academic honors this spring.
Williams, who will play at the University of North Alabama next season, finished with a 3.83 grade point average.
The Lady Lions accumulated a 3.72 grade point average for the 2009 spring semester, which is the best mark in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Wallace State’s softball team edged the 3.71 GPA accrued by the women’s golf team at Colby Community College in Colby, Kan.
Wallace State maintains the top GPA nationally in softball for the second consecutive season and carries the top score among qualified teams participating in 18 sports.
Meanwhile, the Lady Lions finished as the NJCAA national runner-up after winning the national title in 2008. The sophomore class also helped the team win its third straight conference title as they compiled a 131-18 record in their careers.
Wallace State had three other teams earn the top academic spot in the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) as a NJCAA Academic Team of the Year.
The men’s golf team compiled a 3.40 GPA.
Wallace State’s women’s basketball team finished with a 3.35 GPA, also good for 11th nationally and the baseball team collected a 3.05 GPA.
Wallace State’s golf team is coached by Dan York, the women’s basketball team by Larry Slater and the baseball team by Randy Putman.
During the fall semester, Wallace State’s soccer team, coached by Barry Spitzer, was the top NJCAA Academic Team of the Year in its sport with a 3.16 GPA.
Randy Daniel’s volleyball team was also first in the ACCC and 13th nationally with a 3.44 GPA.
Teams must maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA to be considered for Academic Team of the Year honors.
Wallace State also had 10 Distinguished Academic All-Americans (individuals with a 3.80 GPA or higher), including five athletes with 4.0 GPAs. The softball trio of Kaylea Brewer, Ashley Smith and Sallie Van Kirk each accumulated a 4.0 GPA along with baseball’s Josh Huddleston and golf’s Andrew Freeman.
The remaining Distinguished Academic All-Americans are Sallie Beth Burch (3.94) and Williams (3.83) of the softball team, Maggie Mitchell (3.83) and Jessica Morrison (3.81) of the women’s basketball team and Brad Story (3.81) of the golf team.
Softball’s Allison Reynolds (3.69) and baseball’s Zac Taylor (3.64) earned Academic All-American nods.