MESA, Ariz. – Aug. 12, 2025 – Mesa Community College (MCC) student athletes achieved historic academic success during the 2024–25 season, setting new college records with 82 individuals earning NJCAA All-Academic honors, nearly doubling last year’s total and surpassing the previous high of 44 and 10 teams receiving NJCAA Academic Team of the Year recognition, breaking the previous record of eight set in 2021–22.

To qualify for NJCAA All-Academic status, athletes must earn a GPA of at least 3.60 during the academic year. Those with 4.0 averages earn First Team recognition, those with GPAs between 3.80-3.99 qualify for the Second Team, and those with 3.60-3.79 GPAs are placed on the Third Team.

In total, 120 MCC student athletes earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher in 2024-25. Of those, 82 qualified for NJCAA All-Academic honors with a GPA of 3.60 or above. Thirteen student athletes earned GPAs between 3.50-3.59, and 25 earned between 3.00-3.49. 

This season’s teams earning academic recognition include Women’s Tennis, Men’s Tennis, Women’s Cross Country, Women’s Basketball, Women’s Golf, Beach Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, Women’s Indoor Track & Field and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field. A full list of individual honorees and academic teams can be found at mesacc.edu/athletics.

 “This historic academic performance reflects the collective effort of our student athletes, coaches and academic support staff,” said MCC Athletic Director John Mulhern. “It takes a team to reach this level of excellence, and we’re proud of the systems we’ve built to help our athletes succeed both on the field and in the classroom.”

MCC supports student athletes with a variety of academic resources, including designated study areas, coach-monitored academic progress and regularly scheduled team study sessions. The college also provides classroom spaces with technology access and a monitored library sign-in system to help athletes track and optimize their study time.

Since 2006, 475 MCC student athletes have earned NJCAA All-Academic honors by maintaining a GPA of at least 3.6. During that time, 89 Thunderbird teams have received Academic Team of the Year recognition for achieving a composite GPA of 3.0 or better. MCC continues to be one of the top-performing programs in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC), with 147 ACCAC Conference Championships, 114 Region I Championships, and 21 National Team Championships.