SWCC golf earns back-to-back academic honors

For the second consecutive year, the Southwestern Community College men’s golf program has been named the NJCAA Division II Academic National Champion by the Golf Coaches Association of America. With a 3.41 team GPA for the 2024–25 academic year, the Spartans topped all NJCAA Division II programs in classroom performance, securing their place as a leader in academic excellence nationwide.

The honor was part of the GCAA’s Platform Golf Team Academic Awards, which recognize programs that post team GPAs of 3.0 or higher. A record 292 collegiate programs across all divisions received recognition, with 129 earning the GCAA’s Presidents Special Recognition for maintaining team GPAs above 3.5. Among those, only one team per division earned the title of Academic National Champion.

For Southwestern, a rural two-year college in Creston, this accolade validates the steady academic discipline the program has emphasized under the leadership of head coach Doug North. The Spartans edged out other NJCAA Division II contenders with a cumulative GPA that reflects both the college’s academic support structure and the program’s internal expectations for its student-athletes.

“To win this award once is a big accomplishment. To repeat it says something deeper about the culture we’re building,” North said. “Our guys know they’re held to a high standard in the classroom just like they are on the course. It’s intentional, and it’s sustainable.”

Southwestern joins prestigious institutions like Harvard (NCAA Division I), Bowdoin (NCAA Division III), and SCAD Savannah in being crowned Academic National Champion for their respective divisions. The company is elite, and the distinction places SWCC in a rare group nationally — especially noteworthy given the size, resources, and rural location of the college.

Last year, the Spartans earned the same award with a GPA of 3.37. This year’s improvement to 3.41 signals continued academic growth and a commitment to personal development that extends beyond athletic competition. The honor also complements Southwestern’s recent momentum in recruiting, where the golf program has increasingly attracted student-athletes looking for a serious academic-athletic balance at the junior college level.

While championships and player development remain on the forefront of the program’s goals, this national recognition affirms a critical part of the SWCC mission: helping student-athletes prepare for success in the classroom, in transfer, and in life.