Women's basketball coaches honor 116 student-athletes for academic excellence

NAPA - While most California Community College Women’s Basketball teams have opted out of playing games during the 2020-21 season, their student-athletes continue to work hard in the classroom in preparation for their futures and for future seasons to play the great game of college basketball. And there is some good news to report on the “off-the-court” front.

A total of 116 players from 41 California Community Colleges have been named to the 2020-21 California Com- munity College Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Academic All-State Team, the group’s longest list of honorees ever. And while they would normally be recognized at the CCCWBCA’s Banquet of Champions during the State Championship Elite Eight Tournament, this year it might be appropriate for colleges to include them in their virtual honors at the end of the college year and for athletic directors and coaches to find innovative ways to recognize their incredible work in the classroom under unprecedented circumstances. There will be no State Champion crowned in 2021.

In addition, 14 of the 116 honorees have maintained a 4.0 GPA while competing on their college basketball teams. There are five sophomores on that elite list of 14 – meaning they maintained a perfect A average for their entire time at their college. They are Gloria Bianchi and Tess Oakley-Stilson, teammates at Glendale College, Jayme Ehlert of Santa Ana College, Sarah Gudeman of Allan Hancock College (Santa Maria) and Madison Kast of Ventura College. The nine freshmen are Aryana Gonzales of Allan Hancock, Melany Cruz of El Camino Col- lege (Torrance), Vicky Oganyan of Glendale, teammates Kathleen Phan and Taylor Vuong of Los Angeles Valley College (Valley Glen), Donavion Husky of Long Beach City College, Jenna Duley of Sierra College (Rocklin), Ni- cole Brunicardi of Skyline College (San Bruno) and Taniya Simmons of West Los Angeles College (Culver City).

Ten other student-athletes had a GPA of 3.9 or above.

Two colleges boast six Academic All-State players — Allan Hancock and Ventura; three have five players — Rio Hondo College (Whittier), Los Angeles Valley and West Hills College-Lemoore; and nine have four — San Joaquin Delta College (Stockton), Shasta College (Redding), Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut), College of the Redwoods (Eureka), Skyline, College of the Desert (Palm Desert), Glendale, Golden West College (Huntington Beach) and West Los Angeles.

To qualify for Academic All-State recognition these student-athletes had to compete for a year at their colleges, earn at least 24 units of credit and maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA. For more information about this honor, go on the cccaasports.org website, find the Constitution & Bylaws and see Form U. 

For more information, email CCCWBCA President-Elect Steve Shaw at sshaw@elcamino.edu.