Center Valley, PA (July 16, 2008) – The DeSales University women’s basketball team continues to be successful despite not being in season or on campus as the Bulldogs were ranked 17th in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll for all NCAA Division III schools.
The ranking marks the second straight DSU has been ranked among the top 25 NCAA Division III institutions in GPA after they were ranked T-13th last season (3.457 GPA). This season the Bulldogs are ranked 17th with a 3.411 team GPA. The grade point average represents each players GPA for both the 2007 fall semester and the 2008 spring semester.
DeSales is one seven schools in the Mid-Atlantic Region earning top 25 honors and the only Freedom Conference school in the top 25. Joining DSU from the Mid-Atlantic Region are Messiah College, York College (PA), Elizabethtown College, Drew University, Marywood University, and McDaniel College.
“I am extremely proud of the girls for once again achieving this honor. Every year one of our top goals is to be among the 25 best teams in the country both on and off the court and this season we accomplished both”, said head Fred Richter. Richter adds “the ladies work extremely hard in everything they do and the hard work has paid off for them in many ways. I am extremely proud of all their accomplishments.”
In addition to all the honors off the court, DSU put it all together on the court this past season finishing with a 26-4 overall record, winning the Freedom Conference Championship, and advancing all the way to the “Sweet 16” round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship tournament where they fell to eventual national champion, Howard Payne University.
Members of the 2007-08 team include, seniors Jenna Stampf (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame), Rose Katz (Voorhees, NJ/Eastern Regional) and Amanda Kuperavage (Port Carbon, PA/Nativity BVM), juniors LeighAnn Burke (Philadelphia, PA/Archbishop Ryan), Kim Rarick (Ringtown, PA/North Schuylkill), and Erica Sovak (Tuxedo, NY/George F. Baker), sophomores Kelly Magrann (Sinking Spring, PA/Holy Name), Emily Hoffman (Laveyville, PA/Wyalusing Valley), Kaila Wiand (Royersford, PA/Spring-Ford), Caitlin Miller (Fogelsville, PA/Northwestern Lehigh), and Elyse Kutsop (Lansdale, PA/North Penn), and freshmen Leah Beynon (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), Megan Costello (Flanders, NJ/Morris Catholic), Megan Montchyk (Bellmawr, NJ/Paul VI), and Shaina Dymond (Shickshinny, PA/Northwest).