JACKSON — Student-athletes at Northwest Mississippi Community College continue to excel academically, earning recognition from the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference. Three teams received the MACCC Academic Team of the Year awards in women’s tennis, volleyball, and women’s soccer, according to college officials.
Northwest’s women’s tennis team, led by coach Ryan Mounce, finished with a 3.85 GPA, the second-highest among all sports teams in the conference. The team also qualified for the NJCAA national championship in Sumter, South Carolina. Mounce praised his players, saying, “I am so proud of this group of girls! Their dedication to the classroom is directly correlated to their success on the courts.”
In volleyball, coach Allison Burchyett’s squad achieved a 3.77 GPA and advanced to the semifinals of the NJCAA Region 23 tournament. Burchyett commended her team’s effort, noting, “It is tremendously hard balancing academics and athletics, and these ladies did well in both.”
Women’s soccer, under coach James Beattie, secured its second consecutive NJCAA Division II championship and led the conference academically with a 3.73 GPA. Beattie expressed pride in his team, saying, “This group has set the bar even higher.” The team’s academic achievement coincided with midfielder Emma Jensen being named the CSC Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year, the top honor for college athletes in academics and athletics.
While they did not earn the team of the year award this season, other Northwest teams also posted strong GPAs, including women’s golf (3.76), softball (3.73), and men’s golf (3.71). The college’s baseball team earned a 3.34 GPA, football 3.16, women’s basketball 3.15, men’s basketball 3.10, and men’s soccer 3.03.
Under the guidance of academic advisors Charlesy Kennedy and Tori Fugatt, 196 student-athletes made the Fall 2025 Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, with 157 earning recognition for the Spring 2026 semester.
