GCC Women's Basketball Players recognized as outstanding scholar-athletes for 2018-19

The California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association is proud of its coaches' long tradition of putting the "student" in student-athlete. And this year it is proving it again.

Eighty-five players from 40 colleges have been named to the 2018-19 CCCWBCA Academic All-State Team, the group's biggest group of honorees to date. They will be recognized at the CCCWBCA's Banquet of Champions at the Courtyard By Marriott in Oxnard, California on March 14 beginning at 6 p.m. The banquet will also honor this year's Hall of Fame inductees, the Elite Eight teams and coaches and the group's (on the court) All-State Team. This celebration will serve as a prelude to the State Tournament quarterfinals, which take place the following day (March 15) at Ventura College beginning at 1 p.m. State semi-finals follow on March 16 and the State Championship Game will be played at 3 p.m. at VC on Saint Patrick's Day.

Incredibly, nine of the 85 players have maintained a 4.0 GPA while competing on their college basketball teams. They are: Brianna Mendez, Bakersfield College; Natasha Dillon, Irvine Valley College; Jillian Wyman, Los Angeles Valley College; Brandy Huffhines, Sacramento City College; Alexa Brand, San Joaquin Delta College; Maaria Jaakkola, Santa Barbara City College; Michal Sasson, College of the Sequoias; Keeley Tuggle, Shasta College; and Kacey Cain, College of the Siskiyous.

To qualify for Academic All-State recognition the student-athletes had to complete a year of play on their teams, earn at least 24 units of credit and maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA. For more information about this honor, go on the cccaasports.org website, find the Constitution & Bylaws and see Form U. 

Thank you for sharing in the excitement and success of our Women's Basketball Team and all of our student-athletes this season