STORM LAKE, Iowa (August 12, 2020) - The Buena Vista Vista women's basketball team sits atop all of Division III with the top Team GPA from the 2019-20 season as announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) on Tuesday.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2019-20 season is the 25th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.

BVU's team GPA for the 2019-20 season was 3.865.  That average was not only the highest by any team on any level for this past season, but the highest among any level over at least the last 19 seasons.  It marks the second time in program history that the Beavers have been tops in Division III.  The first came back in 2003-04 when it led the way with a 3.603.

“This is an amazing honor, and we're thankful that the WBCA recognizes work in the classroom,” says head coach David Wells. “Buena Vista University and the Storm Lake community have been provided an environment to excel academically with high standards. The team is also thankful for all the coaches, professors, administrators, and support staff that encourage our student athletes. These ladies have done a wonderful job and I appreciate their diligence.” 

The Beavers have been among the Top-25 four times, including twice over the last three seasons.

“The current team is looking forward to attacking the high standards we’ve set for ourselves,” Wells adds. “We’re well on our way in creating young female leaders that excel in both their personal and professional lives and will continue to grow both on and off the court.”

A team’s GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) earned by the total number of academic hours attempted by all team members in the academic terms (semesters or quarters) that the season spans. Weighted grades are converted to a 4.0 scale. The GPAs are rounded to the nearest thousandth of a point. Teams are nominated for the honor by the WBCA member head coach. A team must have a 3.000 or better GPA to be nominated.

About the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit www.WBCA.org for more details about the Association.