ATLANTA, Ga. – The McKendree University women's basketball team earned special mention on the 2021-22 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls that were announced on Wednesday by the organization.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2021-22 season is the 27th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.

This year's release also marks the first year in which all schools which qualified for the Top 25 rankings with the minimum 3.0 GPA are also recognized for their academic accomplishment.
McKendree, who is coached by Kari Kerkhoff, posted 3.598 GPA for the 2021-22 academic year. That GPA was seventh among the 55 Division II schools that earned special recognition this year by the WBCA.

The Bearcats had 12 student-athletes named to the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Academic All-Conference Team and two Bearcats – redshirt junior guard Kaelyn Froebe (Lincoln, Ill./Lincoln) and sophomore guard Lauren Stolzman (Hudson, Wis./Hudson) – were named to the GLVC's Brother James Gaffney Distinguished Scholar List. That award is given to student-athletes who achieved a 4.0 grade point average during the most recently completed academic year.

McKendree was one of seven GLVC schools to have recorded a 3.0 combined GPA for the 2021-22 school year. Three of the league's schools – William Jewell, Lindenwood and Rockhurst – made the Division II's Top 25 list as William Jewell was tied for seventh with a GPA of 3.770, while Lindenwood and Rockhurst were 22nd and 23rd with GPA's of 3.670 and 3.658 respectively. In addition to McKendree, the other three league schools that earned Special Mention were Truman State (3.637 GPA), Southwest Baptist (3.561 GPA) and Illinois-Springfield (3.440 GPA).

Fort Hays State recorded the highest GPA among Division II schools with a 3.814. The other top teams in the other divisions were – Division I – South Dakota State (3.837 GPA), Division III – Emerson (3.840 GPA), NAIA – Hastings (Neb.) College (3.901 GPA) and NJCAA – Dawson and Umpqua (3.490 GPA).