Lady'Backs earn highest ever semester GPA

FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas softball team earned a record-high 3.30 team grade point average for the spring 2007 semester. Seventeen of 19 Lady Razorbacks had GPA’s of 3.0 or better while freshman Jessica Bachkora was a Women’s Athletics Department Academic Champion with a perfect 4.00 GPA. Bachkora, a kinesiology major and outfielder from Overland Park, Kan., posted the highest batting average on the team all season, and led the Lady’Backs in runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, total bases and on-base percentage. “I am extremely proud of our student-athletes,” said head coach Jamie Pinkerton. “Since I arrived here it has been a focal point of our staff to stay above a 3.0 team GPA. We look forward to maintaining that excellence.” This past fall the 2005-06 squad was ranked 30th in the nation for academics by the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association with a 3.27 GPA. The Lady’Backs improved their GPA from that in 2004-05, when they recorded a 3.166 GPA. Pinkerton said he wants to keep the numbers going up. “Hopefully this will help us attain our goal of being in the NFCA top 25,” he said. Arkansas softball had seven athletes earn Athletic Director’s List honors with grades in the 3.50-3.99 range. They were sophomore Brandy Baze (kinesiology), junior Samantha Buckner (communications), sophomore Hillary Freeman (communications), junior Katy Henry (English), junior Dayna Huckabee (kinesiology), freshman Miranda Dixon (health science) and freshman Jess Reed (poultry science). Nine Lady’Backs earned selection to the Women’s Athletics Department Honor Roll with GPAs from 3.00-3.49. Sophomore Whitney Cloer (kinesiology), sophomore Brandy Foust (biology), freshman Teighynne Hulsey (biology), sophomore Kayla Johnson (pyshcology), senior Rachel LeMaster (nursing), sophomore Jocelyne Moncrief (communications), freshman Brittany Robison (kinesiology), sophomore Sandra Smith (kinesiology) and freshman Jessica Waddle (kinesiology) were all named to the Honor Roll list. The Lady’Backs set several individual and team records this year. LeMaster is the career leader for stolen bases and Huckabee leads the career list for home runs. Bachkora set the season record for triples while Dixon broke the individual season home run record. As a team Arkansas hit 28 homers, breaking the single-season record. For more information about Arkansas softball, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.