Lilburn, Ga. - Over the past several years, Shorter College Athletics has earned the reputation as a group of successful programs, both on and off the playing surface.

The Lady Hawk basketball team is continuing this tradition.

Last week, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced its winners of the for the 2008-2009 Academic Top-25 Team Honor Roll. Head coach Vic Mitchell's Lady Hawks secured the No. 17 slot with a team grade-point-average of 3.323.

"Being recognized as one of the top programs in the NAIA on the court and in the classroom were goals of ours at the beginning of the season," said Mitchell, who guided Shorter to back-to-back 20-win seasons with a 20-12 mark in 2008-2009. "For our team to have won 20 games and be ranked as the 17th-best team in the country academically shows that our players were committed to these goals."

Shorter was the only Southern States Athletic Conference team recognized in the annual poll and boasted eight players with a 3.46 GPA or better, including recent Emil S. Liston National Award winner Whitni Tucker, who closed her junior campaign with a perfect 4.0 mark.

Six ladies made the Dean's List of 3.5 or better, including Molly May (4.0), Hanna Chapman (3.9), All-American Nicole Frechette (3.8), Allison Danner (3.7) and Megan Queen (3.6).

Eleven Lady Hawks earned a 3.0 GPA or higher for the year.

"We are excited to be recognized as one of the top academic programs in the NAIA," Mitchell added. "I am extremely proud of these young ladies and their accomplishments on the court and in the classroom."

The WBCA Academic Top-25 Team Honor Roll is an award given in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and Junior College/Community College and awards teams throughout the nation that carry the highest grade-point-averages (GPA) for the entire season based on the nomination submitted by WBCA-member head coaches.