The Prairie View A&M University 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) bowling team champions continue to add accolades by recording the fifth-highest team GPA in the nation for a consecutive year and have finished in the top ten nationally for a third consecutive time. The teams and individuals were announced by the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA).
The National Tenpin Coaches Association recognizes NCAA bowling teams that excel academically each year. Programs must have a cumulative team GPA of 3.2 or higher for the academic school year and be current members of the NTCA. 42 bowling programs achieved a cumulative team GPA of 3.2 or higher.
The Lady Panthers were just as impressive on the lanes as they were off of it; the seven-member team combined for a GPA of 3.628 while winning this past season’s SWAC championship. PVAMU was one of three SWAC teams to earn a team award, the others being Jackson State (3.384) and Texas Southern (3.259).
The four schools above the Lady Panthers were Youngstown State (highest GPA 3.806), Monmouth University (3.742), Tusculum University (3.720), and Sacred Heart University (3.691).
In addition to the team award, individually four Lady Panthers met the qualifications as NTCA All-Academic scholar-athletes. The individuals honored were freshman Miranda Fuentes (Houston, Texas | Accounting), sophomore Amani Moore (Fort Worth, Texas | Biology), junior Ashlyn Okazaki (Mililani, HI | Architecture), and senior Stephanie Vasquez (Hollister, Calif. | Social Work).
In order to be recognized by NTCA, a student-athlete must have excelled in the classroom maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher for the academic school year to qualify for this award.
This year there are 285 honorees, representing NCAA bowling programs at 57 schools. The National Tenpin Coaches Association is privileged to recognize outstanding academic achievement by student-athletes.
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