Six Eagles earn NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete honors

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (July 5, 2016) – The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) announced its 2015-16 Academic Student-Athlete Awards on Tuesday, and six Tallahassee Community College student-athletes were recognized. 

Softball's Elisa Cecchetti, Alexandra Cook, Casey Durham, and Alyssa NeSmith, and baseball's Craig Olson and Octavio Marin garnered honors from the NJCAA for their academic achievement. 

"I'm extremely proud of these student-athletes," said director of athletics Rob Chaney. "Our coaches are committed to building a student first, athlete second culture within our department, and this is evidence that our student-athletes value excellence in the classroom just as much as on their respective field of play. 

"It is also a testament to the quality service a student-athlete receives while enrolled at Tallahassee Community College – starting with orientation and enrollment services, through the advising process and right on into the classroom with our outstanding faculty and academic support resources." 

During the 2015-16 academic year, 57,472 student-athletes participated in the NJCAA and 7.98 percent (4,587) earned national academic honors by completing at least two full-time semesters or three full-time quarters and accumulating at least 24 semester- or 36 quarter-hours with a minimum 3.60 grade point average. 

Cecchetti, a native of Bollate, Italy, posted a 4.0 grade point average as a freshman in 2015-16, thus earning the NJCAA's highest honor, the Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence. She was one of a record 663 student-athletes who earned a 4.0 grade point average. 

Both Cook and NeSmith received the NJCAA's Superior Academic Achievement Award, presented to student-athletes with a grade point average between 3.80 and 3.99. 

Cook, a native of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, achieved a 3.81 GPA over two years with the Eagles (2014-16). She has signed an NCAA letter of intent with Presbyterian College.   

NeSmith, a Tallahassee native and former Chiles High School standout, earned the award with a 3.90 GPA as a freshman in 2015-16. 

The remaining three honorees – Durham (Fr./McDonough, Ga.), Marin (Fr./Miami, Fla.) and Olson (So./Wilton Manors, Fla.) – received the NJCAA's Exemplary Academic Achievement Award, presented to student-athletes with a grade point average between 3.60 and 3.79. 

All six have been honor students while enrolled at Tallahassee Community College and were previously named All-Academic in 2016 by both the Florida College System Activities Association and the Panhandle Conference. 

Like Cook, Olson, the only other sophomore in the group, will graduate this summer. 

The NJCAA will announce its 2015-16 team academic awards on Wednesday.