Cullowhee, N.C. - On the strength of a program-best and Southern Conference leading five student-athletes named to the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Academic All-American Scholars list, Western Carolina women's golf ranked ninth in the nation in overall highest team grade point average. The Catamounts boasted a team GPA of 3.708 last academic years.

WCU was one of two SoCon schools honored, joined by Chattanooga in at No. 21 with a combined GPA of 3.621. NAIA-member Lee University had the highest team academic average to earn the NGCA's All-Scholar Team GPA Award for a second-straight season with a cumulative team GPA of 3.965.

The list includes schools from all three NCAA Divisions, as well as NAIA and NJCAA schools.

Back on July 6, five Catamount women's golfers landed on the organization's All-American Scholar list including seniors Christina Amoriello, Blaire Minter and Rachel Nelson. Nelson, a four-time honoree, finished with a 3.78 GPA while graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics with Minter finishing with a 3.61 and a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. Amoriello is on-pace to complete the requirements for her degree this summer, fulfilling an internship with the Golf Channel.

Freshmen Katie Kile and Maria Kjelldorff gave the program its most honorees all-time while marking the 12th-straight year that Western Carolina was represented on the squad.

All six of WCU's team members in 2011-12 were named to the SoCon Honor Roll, with all eligible players - the three seniors - placed on the Spring Academic All-Southern Conference squad.

Place School GPA
1. Lee University 3.965
2. Merrimack College 3.787
3. Otterbein University 3.786
4. University of Akron 3.766
5. University of New Mexico 3.735
6. University of Central Oklahoma 3.734
7. Drury University 3.717
8. University of Memphis 3.711
9. Western Carolina University 3.708
10t. Angelo State University 3.707
10t. Lynn University 3.707
12. Xavier University 3.704
13. Hope College 3.692
14. Harvard University 3.690
15. Texas Tech University 3.680
16. Bradley University 3.664
17. Barry University 3.663
18. Tusculum College 3.644
19. Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City 3.630
20. Rollins College 3.628
21. Chattanooga 3.621
22. Coastal Carolina University 3.617
23. University of Notre Dame 3.611
24. West Texas A&M University 3.606
25. Brown University 3.605

Chattanooga Women's Golf Among Nation's Smartest Teams
Maria Juliana Loza and Mette Kryger's 4.0 paced a scholarly group of Mocs

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The Chattanooga Mocs women's golf team again ranks among the nation's smartest. UTC is No. 21 overall and No. 10 among NCAA Division I programs according to the National Golf Coaches Association in a release Wednesday.

The Mocs had a combined grade point average of 3.621 for the 2011-12 academic year. That total is just a tick off of last year's 3.649 that ranked 20th overall and 13th in Division I.

Departing senior Maria Juliana Loza (Bucaramanga, Colombia) and rising sophomore Mette Kryger (Nivaa, Denmark) paced the academic effort with perfect 4.0 GPA's for the year. Loza majors in Mechanical Engineering, while Kryger studies are in Communications.

The dynamic duo earned NGCA All-American Scholar honors as well, the third year in a row the Mocs have had at least one national honoree. All five playing members of the team made the Dean's List at least one semester this year. Jordan Britt (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Marion Duvernay (Publier, France) and Sophie Weilguni (Langenlois, Austria) join Loza and Kryger in the team's recognition.

Neighboring Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., had the highest GPA in the land at 3.965. Akron led all Division I programs at 3.766, fourth overall. UTC ranked just ahead of Coastal Carolina (3.617), Notre Dame (3.611) and Brown (3.605).