ATLANTA - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team ranked ninth in the 2025-26 WBCA NCAA Division II Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, announced Tuesday (July 21) by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
 
The Tigers completed the latest academic year with a team GPA of 3.787, ranking the Tigers inside the top 10 in Division II for the sixth time in program history. Fort Hays State was the only MIAA program ranked inside the top 25 this season, putting the Tigers atop the league for the seventh time in the last decade. The Tigers have been listed in the top 25 nationally 15 times since 2003.
 
Twelve student-athletes from the squad were listed on this year's MIAA Academic Honor Roll, including four that earned the MIAA Academic Excellence Award for carrying a 4.00 GPA in Brooke Loewe, Olivia Mortensen, Mikayla Pilley and Maddy Powell. Loewe and Mortensen also earned the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award for garnering All-MIAA status along with a GPA north of 3.50, while TiAna Davis, Sarah Lawless, Avery Lowe, Callie Ott, Kaitlin Schumann, Izzy Spagnoletti, Ellie Stearns and Brittan Zeka were also named to the Academic Honor Roll for maintaining a GPA better than 3.00. In addition, Loewe, Lowe and Stearns were all named to the CSC Academic All-District team.
 
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2025-26 season is the 31st in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
 
Fort Hays State's historical rankings in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll and the complete 2025-26 Top 25 can be found below.

FHSU in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll
Year | Rank - GPA
2025-26 | 9th - 3.787
2024-25 | Special Mention - 3.685
2023-24 | 13th - 3.755
2022-23 | 6th - 3.805
2021-22 | 1st - 3.814
2020-21 | 3rd - 3.764
2018-19 | 6th - 3.708
2017-18 | 13th - 3.667
2016-17 | 13th - 3.624
2015-16 | 22nd - 3.559
2014-15 | 23rd - 3.536
2012-13 | 14th - 3.500
2011-12 | 4th - 3.628
2010-11 | 12th - 3.523
2009-10 | T14th - 3.473
2002-03 | 16th - 3.444
 
2025-26 WBCA NCAA Division II Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll
Rank - Institution - Head Coach - GPA
1 - Mercy - Scott Lagas - 3.853
2 - Florida Southern - Megan Dzikas - 3.849
3 - Embry-Riddle (Fla.) - Lisa Wilson - 3.841
4 - Northwestern Oklahoma - Tasha Diesselhorst - 3.826
5 - East Stroudsburg - Liz Flooks - 3.825
6 - Southwest Minnesota State - Tom Webb - 3.811
7 - Colorado Mesa - Taylor Wagner - 3.797
8 - Goldey-Beacom - Bethann Burke - 3.79
9 - Fort Hays State - Talia Kahrs - 3.787
10 - Harding - Tim Kirby - 3.776
11 - Lubbock Christian - Steve Gomez - 3.775
12 - Northwood - Autumn Hunter - 3.772
13 - Maryville - Brita Hand - 3.77
14 - Southern New Hampshire - Karen Pinkos - 3.759
15 - MSU Moorhead - Karla Nelson - 3.757
16 - Gannon - Cleve Wright - 3.755
T17 - Northern Michigan - Casey Thousand - 3.752
T17 - Point Loma - Charity Elliott - 3.752
19 - Upper Iowa - Justin Maass - 3.74
20 - Sioux Falls - Travis Traphagen - 3.732
21 - Northern State - Paula Krueger - 3.73
22 - Ouachita Baptist - Nick Long - 3.729
23 - St. Cloud State - Lori Fish - 3.726
24 - McKendree - Kari Kerkhoff - 3.724
25 - Malone - Selana Ickes - 3.716
 
Special Mention: Central Mo., Dave Slifer, 3.710; Post, Courtney Burns, 3.705; Texas Woman's, Beth Jillson, 3.703; Lee, Marty Rowe, 3.686; Mont. St. Billings, Kevin Woodin, 3.683; Northwest Mo. St., Austin Meyer, 3.680; Tampa, Tom Jessee, 3.678; Barry, Allison Bustamante, 3.674; Kutztown, Janet Malouf, 3.673; Cal Poly Pomona, Danelle Bishop, 3.669; Georgian Court, Jazz Perazic, 3.667; Ferris St., Kurt Westendorp, 3.661; Eckerd, Paul Honsinger, 3.661; Rockhurst, Larry Park, 3.655; Chaminade, J. Travis Brewster, 3.653; Ill. Springfield, Olivia Birt, 3.651; Carson-Newman, Mike Mincey, 3.643; Ashland, Kari Pickens, 3.640; UVA Wise, Jamie Cluesman, 3.638; Davenport, Shonda Sanders, 3.628; Winona St., Ana Wurtz, 3.628; Menlo, Shannon Spataro, 3.617; Truman St., Theo Dean, 3.616; Tex. A&M-Kingsville, Michael Madrid, 3.615; Black Hills St., Kelly Kruger, 3.597; Wis.-Parkside, Jen Conely, 3.596; West Liberty, Kyle Cooper, 3.591; Fairmont St., Stephanie Anderson, 3.587; Chestnut Hill, Megan Fox, 3.585; Pace, Carrie Seymour, 3.579; Saginaw Valley, Jenny Pruett, 3.577; D'Youville, Kelly Broderick, 3.572; Drury, Kaci Bailey, 3.568; St. Mary's (TX), Valerie Huizar, 3.551; Edinboro, Callie Wheeler, 3.549; USC Aiken, Brittany Batts, 3.546; Bentley, Carolyn White, 3.532; Wayne St. (MI), Carrie Lohr, 3.528; Bridgeport, James Howard, 3.521; Minnesota St., Emilee Thiesse, 3.513; Mary, Rick Neumann, 3.510; Shepherd, Julie Kaufman, 3.506; Cal St. East Bay, Jenny Thigpin, 3.482; Okla. Baptist, Bo Overton, 3.461; Kentucky St., Amani Williams, 3.460; Wingate, Ann Hancock, 3.422; Newman, Amy Briggs, 3.408; Mount Olive, Joey Higginbotham, 3.407; UC Merced, Kellie Bernard, 3.404; Assumption, Kerry Phayre, 3.403; Cal St. Monterey Bay, Sarah Hopkins-Chery, 3.363; Hillsdale, Brianna Brennan, 3.329; Cal State LA, Torino Johnson, 3.308; Union, Mark Campbell, 3.269; Emory & Henry, Jaclyn Dickens, 3.255; Cal St. San Marcos, Jana Pearson, 3.191; Valdosta St., Chandler Merkerson, 3.189; Augusta, Celeste Stewart, 3.039.