Lady Jags as good off the field as on

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association released the 2014 All-Academic top-25 teams Saturday, Nov. 1 and San Jose City College women’s softball team is ranked No. 20 in the nation and first in California among community college with a 3.069 GPA.
This is the third season in a row head coach Debbie Huntze-Rooney’s team has been ranked among the best in the nation in all academics.
“Coach Rooney is the reason why we had the record GPA” Sophomore outfielder Ja’nee Miskell said. “Whether or not we were good students she made us into good students.”
Huntze-Rooney said her team works hard in the classroom.
“Academics is No.1.That is our first priority.” Huntze-Rooney said.
Huntze-Rooney has each of her players set an academic goal of a 3.0 GPA which is far greater than SJCC’s required 2.0 for athletic eligibility. She helps players achieve that goal with mandatory study hours.
Players with a 3.0 or below must spend at least six hours of studying a week, 3.0 and above only have to do four.
Sophomore second baseman Kallie Klinger knew the team was strong academically,” but I never knew we would be that strong,” Klinger said.
“The sophomores were really good at motivating us,” Klinger said. “We all knew we had to get our studying done first, then we can go out and eat and socialize.We needed to keep our grades up in order to play or else coach would make us run.”
Aside from being great in the classroom, the Jags also succeeded on the field.
An overall record of 22-17 and 10-7 in Coast-South Conference play was enough for them to advance to the regional playoffs.
The Lady Jaguars finished with a .336 batting average, .400 on-base percentage and .556 slugging percentage as a team and all while adding 45 home runs for fifth most in California.
The Lady Jags’ season starts next semester, Thursday, Feb. 5 when they play a doubleheader at Lady Jag Field at SJCC.