Courtesy of Matt McLagan, Caldwell SID

CALDWELL, N.J. - The Caldwell College softball team posted the 24th-best team grade-point average among all NCAA Division II programs during the 2008-09 academic year, according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The Cougars, coached by Dean Johnson, earned a team GPA of 3.329, the highest GPA in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and the third-best in the East Region. Additionally, seven players had a GPA of 3.50 or higher to earn NFCA Scholar-Athlete honors.
 
The NFCA honors high school and collegiate softball teams for their success in the classroom with the girls got game Top-Ten All-Academic Team awards. The awards are based on team GPAs submitted by participating institutions for the 2008-09 academic year.
 
The softball team at Caldwell College has a history of academic success. In 1996, Caldwell had the highest GPA among all NAIA institutions. In 2004, the team received an award from the NCAA for having the highest team GPA of the eight participants at the Women's College World Series. In both 2006 and 2007, the Cougars ranked 13th in team GPA among NCAA Division II institutions.
 
The student-athletes who earned Scholar-Athlete honors in 2008-09 are current seniors Brittni Frantellizzi (Binghamton, NY/Susquehanna Valley), Danielle Genovese (Livingston, NJ/Livingston) and Kyrie Timbrook (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos), and sophomores Kaitlyn McFarlane (Secaucus, NJ/Immaculate Conception), Kelly Ryan (Woonsocket, RI/Mt. Charles Acad.), Marisa Tamez (Fountain Valley, CA/Fountain Valley) and Juliette Wilson (Dallas, OR/West Salem). Earlier this month, Timbrook received the ECAC Robbins Scholar-Athlete Award for Division II female student-athletes.
 
Last season the Cougars went 37-18-2 and advanced to the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament for the fifth time in six years.