Five Bobcat student-athletes earn national academic honors

In the previous six years that Georgia Northwestern Technical College has been a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association, only two Bobcat student-athletes have ever earned national academic awards by the NJCAA governing body.

They more than doubled that in this season alone.

A total of five Georgia Northwestern stu- dent-athletes garnered honors for the 2015-2016 academic year.

Sophomore golfer Jordan Estes (Ringgold, Ga,) and sophomore women’s basketball player Ashley Farrell (Calhoun, Ga.) each earned an award for Superior Academic Achievement, while freshmen volleyball players Alysa Daniel (Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.) and Abbey Hannah (LaFayette, Ga.) and sophomore golfer Lanier Guest (Rock Spring, Ga.) all earned awards for Exemplary Academic Achievement.

Superior Awards are given to athletes with a cumulative grade point average of 3.83.99, while Exemplary Awards require a GPA of 3.6-3.79. The NJCAA also awards the Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence for those student-athletes with a 4.0 GPA.

“Georgia Northwestern is very pleased to have these awards winners from this past academic year,” school President Pete McDon- ald said. “We’re always proud of our studentathletes and our coaches. We have had very successful programs this (past) year and we are very honored.”

Former men’s basketball player and former Assistant Coach Matt Woods (Trenton, Ga.) won a Superior Award during the 20112012 season, while former women’s basketball player Sierra Smith (Adairsville, Ga.) won an Exemplary Award for the 2013-2014 season.