YORK, PA-The York College women’s basketball team received outstanding news recently as the Spartans finished 2007-08 eighth in the nation academically according to the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Division III Honor Roll. The Spartans finished with a cumulative grade point average of 3.467, finishing just .002 points out of seventh place and .021 points behind fifth place Beloit College. Concordia (Wisc.) took home the top spot as they recorded a team GPA of 3.637. York has now placed in the top ten in four of the last five seasons. In 2003-04, the Spartans finished second to Buena Vista University from Storm Lake, Iowa. In 2004-05, the green and white were the top academic team in the nation, recording a GPA of 3.725, .010 points higher than second-place finisher Messiah College. The Spartans then finished 2005-06 tied for second with a GPA of 3.560.
    Spartan head coach Betsy Witman had 12 of the 14 players on her roster earn a GPA of 3.2 or above. Graduating senior Gina Casadei (Walkersville, Md./Walkersville) finished the year with a 4.0 GPA. That mark is made all the more impressive as she was an engineering major, one of the most challenging academic pursuits at York College. Junior Amy Fry (Carlisle, Pa./Big Spring) concluded her year with a 3.95 GPA as she is a Recreation and Leisure major. Junior Donna Figenshu (Kennett Square, Pa./Unionville), a Secondary Education/General Science major, finished her 2007-08 academic year with a mark of 3.84. Freshman April Sparkman (Walkersville, Md./Walkersville) concluded her first year at YCP with a 3.89 GPA in Elementary Education.
    “I am, once again, very proud of what my team has accomplished this year,” stated Witman. “Not only did we establish a new school record with 19 wins, but was are back in the top 10 nationally for academic achievement. My team continues to embody the perfect balance of student and athlete.”
    The Spartan team features six nursing majors and one engineering major, two of the toughest tracks at YCP.
    Spartan Assistant Dean for Athletics and Recreation Sean Sullivan believes this is just another example of York College student-athletes excelling.
    “This award is certainly a credit to Coach Witman and her players,” said Sullivan. “The program continues to rank among the nation’s elite while also doing an outstanding job on the floor. Coach Witman and her players can be very proud of this accomplishment.”
    York was one of five Pennsylvania schools to be ranked and the only Capital Athletic Conference team in the top 25.

FULL WBCA RELEASE