Three student-athletes and two teams from Marshalltown Community College have been recognized by the NJCAA for their academic success throughout the 2012-13 school year.

Mady Van Metre, a member of the women’s basketball and volleyball teams was honored with the Pinnacle Award for Academic while Ben Ryder of the baseball team and Javier Lopez of the men’s soccer team were honored with the Exemplary Academic Achievement award.

The MCC softball team maintained a 3.36 GPA while the volleyball team achieved a 3.30 GPA throughout the year. For their efforts, both teams were recognized as NJCAA All-Academic teams. To be considered an all-academic team, programs must attain a minimum GPA of 3.0. This is the second consecutive year the volleyball team has been recognized as an all-academic team.

Van Metre starred both on and off the court for the Tigers as the two-sport athlete achieved a 4.0 GPA to earn the highest individual accolade from the NJCAA. Van Metre, a two-sport athlete, was a first-team all-region selection for the women’s basketball team and a second-team all-region selection for the volleyball team.

Lopez led the Tigers to the national spotlight in 2012 as MCC reached the NJCAA National Tournament, finishing tied for fifth-place. Lopez, a third-team NJCAA All-American, posted a 3.67 GPA in the classroom to earn the national academic honor.

Ryder was recognized for his academic achievements by the NJCAA for the second consecutive year. Ryder, a right-handed pitcher, recorded a 3.72 GPA to earn his second straight Exemplary Academic Achievement honor.