YSU Women’s Basketball Team Earns Nation’s Highest GPA
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown State University women’s basketball team achieved the highest grade-point average in the country during the 2023-24 season.
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association recently released its annual Academic Top 25, and the Penguins led all 360 Division I programs with a 3.868 GPA during the 2023-24 academic year.
This marks the 13th time in the past 14 seasons YSU has ranked among the top 25 programs in the nation in GPA, and it is the first time the Penguins have been at the top of the list.
“Congratulations to the 2023-24 student-athletes, staff and academic staff,” said coach Melissa Jackson. “YSU women’s basketball has had a long-standing tradition of academic excellence, and earning the top spot is an incredible achievement for the program. I commend the young women for all their hard work. This honor represents a strong commitment to academics as well as the unbelievable support that is in place here at YSU.”
The Penguins registered a team GPA of 3.769 GPA during the fall and rose to 3.943 in the spring. In the fall, seven student-athletes finished with a 4.0, and 12 team members were at 3.5 or higher. All 14 Penguins posted a GPA of at least 3.75 in the spring semester, and 11 individuals earned straight A’s.
Returners Abby Liber, Malia Magestro and Bella Samz joined seniors Mady Aulbach, Dena Jarrells, Lindsey Linard and Emily Saunders in earning a 4.0 in both semesters. The 2023-24 team was led by a group of six fifth-year seniors who each earned their degrees.
No other program in the country has matched YSU’s consistency of being on the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll 13 times in the last 14 years.
Starting with the 2010-11 campaign, YSU has earned a spot in every season except 2013-14. This is the 10th straight season that the Penguins have been on the list, and they have been among the top 10 six times in the past decade.
Pictured at top: YSU basketball players Bella Samz, Mackenzie Hurd, Lindsey Linard, Abby Liber, Haley Thierry and Mady Aulbach.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
