by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
Three Kansas City Kansas Community College teams and 16 Blue Devil athletes have been recognized for their academic excellence during the 2015-16 season by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
KCKCC baseball, softball and volleyball teams each earned Excellence in Academic team awards by having cumulative grade point averages of 3.0 or better.
Ten members of the Blue Devil baseball team earned NJCAA Division I Academic Student-Athlete awards while five members of the softball team and one volleyball player received Division II awards.
Three athletes, Kaylynn Stratton and Makayla Foskett of the softball team and Drew Holtgrieve of the baseball team, received Pinnacle awards given to student-athletes earning a perfect grade point average of 4.0.
Seven others earned Superior awards for grade points between 3.80-3.99. They went to Avery Fliger, Brandon Reid, Caleb Gray, Chase Redick, Daulton Smith and Jacob Purl of the baseball team and Jessica Minear of the volleyball team.
Exemplary awards for grade points of 3.60-3.79 went Megan Carlson, Savannah Dungan and Tiffany Killam of the softball team and Chad Cox, Elijah Baig and Ross Walker of the baseball team.