16 Seward Student-Athletes Honored in Record NJCAA Academic Award Class

If classroom performance is any judge of it, there are going to be a record number of former NJCAA student-athletes making their mark on the working world in two years as the NJCAA announced on Wednesday that a record 2,026 athletes, including 16 Seward County Saints and Lady Saints from six different teams have earned NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Awards, formerly known as the NJCAA's Academic All-American award. 

Eight Saints and Lady Saints earned the associations second highest award, being named  Superior Academic Achievement award winners.  Four Lady Saint Basketball players headed that group including Brooklyn Artis, Kyndal Davis, Rebekah Hatchard, and Tamara Seda.  A pair of Jayhawk West Champion Saints Baseball players were also named to the list including Grant Glaze and Brandon Rix, while Volleyball player Kari Anderson and Women's Tennis player Jackie Arnold rounded out the bunch.  To be named a Superior Academic Achievement award winner, student-athletes had to have maintained a 3.81-3.99 GPA and have completed 45 credit hours. 

Eight more Seward student-athletes picked up Exemplary Academic Achievement awards from the NJCAA on Wednesday.  The Saints Baseball team had a department high three players to garner this award including Chad Kennedy, Nate Sylvester, and Alex White.  A pair of Lady Saint Volleyball players were named to the list in Nacole Miller and Kelci Bedingfield while standout Tennis players Ronzai Saurombe and Paula Lopez as well as Softball player Jamie St. Clair also earned the award.  The Exemplary Academic Achievement award goes to student-athletes who finished the year with a GPA between 3.60-3.79 while having completed 45 or more credit hours. 

Fellow Jayhawk Conference member Coffeyville claimed the most accolades with 35 award winners while two more Kansas schools in Fort Scott and Hesston led the Superior Academic Achievement award count with five each.