In May, the Colby Community College softball team won the first Jayhawk Conference softball title in school history. This week the squad learned they are also the best academically. The National Junior College Athletic Association announced that the Trojans' 3.67 team grade point average tops the list of 131 softball programs.

"I couldn’t be more pleased with how our teams took care of business in the classroom this year," said Athletic Director Mike Saddler.

Softball is led by Steve Kinnett, who was voted coach of the year after his team went 30-19 and 19-8 in the conference. Colby also landed eight players on all-conference teams.

"To finish with the top GPA in the NJCAA while also winning a Jayhawk Conference championship is an outstanding accomplishment," Saddler said.

Several other CCC programs had at least a 3.0 GPA. Women's cross country (3.2) and women's basketball (3.16) made the list, while volleyball (3.7), men's indoor track and field (3.43), men's outdoor track and field (3.43), baseball (3.41), men's cross country (3.38), women's indoor track and field (3.34) and women's outdoor track and field (3.34) finished in the top ten among their sports.

"As a department, we pride ourselves in being students first, then athletes," Saddler added. "All of our teams did a great job of that, and to have seven of our 12 NJCAA sports finish in the top 10 nationally is simply amazing."