It was a banner year for Division II basketball program Calvary University as the NCCAA released their annual Winter/Spring 2018-19 Scholar Teams. To be eligible for this award, teams needed a minimum grade point average of 3.40 on a 4.00 scale for all combined student-athletes on the team.

 Southwestern Christian University’s women’s basketball team took the lead this year with a 3.78 team GPA, as Calvary University followed closely behind in second place out of the 31 teams that received national recognition.  The Lady Warriors collectively achieved a 3.74 team GPA to receive this honor.

 “What we’ve seen across our level of basketball is the importance of the student in the term student-athlete,” Head Coach Tressa Shoemaker said. “One of the most important things we can do is to promote an environment where we foster growth in the classroom and in turn, develop the next generation of teachers and leaders to continue that mindset.”

 “We seek to recruit highly motivated ladies who are academically driven to be great,” said Shoemaker.  “They love the Lord and are seeking to grow in their relationship with Him above all.  They care about their classes and their degree with all that they have, they are highly motivated, they have a high GPA, they are selfless and sacrificial, and they display a great work ethic.”

 “Our program and our recruiting have both been carefully designed for excellence in all areas,” said Shoemaker. “Here are the pillars of what we strive for in the classroom.

1. We advocate for our Academic Center.
2. We implement mentors, study groups, and accountability.
3. We put teammates together in classes to help motivate and encourage each other.
4. We think studying is important.
5. We educate on our academic standards.

 “I am proud of this team,” stated Shoemaker. “They have taken a lot of ownership in what we’ve asked them to accomplish both on and off the court.  Every girl on this team had a choice to make each day to take responsibility for their academics. Some of these ladies told me that they were making it a goal to do better in the classroom than the previous semester. That showed dedication and sacrifice for themselves and for their teammates. They desired to strive for excellence and to make sure they wouldn’t let their teammates down. The future is exciting for the ladies in this program.”