PORTLAND, Ore. – The Montana State University Billings women's basketball team had six of it's student-athletes receive Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic All-GNAC presented by Barnes & Noble College honors, as announced by the conference on Friday afternoon.
 
Indie Browning, Avery Burkhart, Kaitlin Grossman, Katelyn Hamilton, Camryn Koester, and Alli Ligocki made up the Yellowjacket's academic all-conference selections. It marked the third career selection for Grossman and the second career selection for Burkhart, while Browning, Hamilton, Koester, and Ligocki each were selected for the first time in their careers.
 
"Each of our academic award winners are very deserving of their GNAC special recognition and congratulations to all of them," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "It is not easy to excel at a high level in the classroom while also competing in college athletics. Our entire team has bought in on the importance of doing your best in the classroom and obtaining a degree from MSUB, and I appreciate their efforts as well as those of my assistant coaches who regular meet with our players about their academics."
 

Name	Major	Year	GPA	Hometown
Indie Browning	Health & Human Performance	So.	3.98	Portland, OR
Avery Burkhart	Communication: Media Studies	Jr.	3.97	Bozeman, MT
Kaitlin Grossman	Nursing	Sr.	3.81	Billings, MT
Katelyn Hamilton	Health Administration	So.	4.00	Columbus, MT
Camryn Koester	Health & Human Performance	So.	3.53	Cave Creek, AZ
Alli Ligocki	English	So.	3.82	Sheridan, WY

 
To be eligible for Academic All-GNAC honors, a student-athlete must be participating in their second season or more of competition at their current institution, and maintain a minimum 3.2 GPA.
 
Grossman, the lone senior on the Yellowjackets roster this season, achieved a 3.81 GPA while working towards completing her nursing degree. In 23 games this season for the 'Jackets, the Billings native has averaged 7.6 points and 7.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks a game. Meanwhile Burkhart, MSUB's other multi-time academic honoree, holds a 3.97 GPA while majoring in communications. Burkhart has played in ten games this season for MSUB, averaging 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds a game, setting single-game highs for her career in both categories this season.
 
Of MSUB's four first-time Academic All-GNAC selections, Hamilton leads the way with a perfect 4.0 GPA, one of six 4.0's in the conference. Hamilton, a sophomore from Columbus majoring in health administration, has seen time in 21 games this season, averaging 2.8 points per game while shooting 34.7% from three-point range. Browning finished just behind Hamilton with a 3.98 GPA, with the sophomore majoring in health & human performance. The guard saw time in each of MSUB's games early in the season before missing time with injury, featuring in nine games.
 
The Yellowjackets final two selections, Ligocki has accumulated a 3.82 GPA while majoring in English, while Koester has totaled a 3.53 GPA while working towards a degree in health & human performance. Ligocki has emerged this season as a regular piece of MSUB's rotation, playing in 23 games and averaging 1.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest. Koester showed early flashes off the bench early in the season before suffering an injury, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds early in six games.
 
The Yellowjackets (13-11, 5-6 GNAC) are back in action Saturday, February 7 when they face off against Western Oregon University at Alterowitz Gym, with tipoff scheduled for 4:15 PM. Live coverage for all MSUB women's basketball games can be found online here.