WINTER HAVEN – With the start of the 2026-27 Academic Year right around the corner, three Polk State College athletics programs garnered one final recognition for 2025-26 on Wednesday.

Polk State Volleyball, Polk State Baseball and Polk State Softball were each recognized as NJCAA Academic Team of the Year. The programs were required to have cumulative team grade-point averages (GPAs) of 3.0 or greater to achieve the distinction.

Polk State Volleyball posted a department-best 3.6 GPA for the year. Nine of the team's 11 members previously earned FCSAA All-Academic Team honors and four earned NJCAA All-Academic Team recognition. Rezzan Guner, Alexia Ortiz and Marina Santos each earned Academic All-District® designation from the College Sports Communicators.

"I'm extremely proud of my student-athletes," Head Volleyball Coach Jessica Beal said. "Their hard work was not only reflected on the court but in the classroom. This is a well-deserved honor for an ambitious group."

Polk State Baseball earned NJCAA Academic Team of the Year honors for the second year in a row after posting a collective 3.39 GPA. The program had 13 FCSAA All-Academic Team and six NJCAA All-Academic Team honorees, headlined by FCSAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Kustarr Webb.

"Success on the field is important but watching our players achieve success in the classroom is something we're equally proud of," Head Baseball Coach Al Corbeil said. "Being part of this program means buying into academics as much as athletics."

For the third time in as many years under Head Coach Kevin Lewis, Polk State Softball earned the distinction. On the softball diamond, the Eagles had 13 FCSAA All-Academic and six NCJAA All-Academic athletes. As a whole, the team achieved a cumulative 3.19 GPA.

"When we recruit players, we check GPAs, we ask about grades and we ask about study habits," Lewis said. "Making sure our players get a quality education while they're here at Polk State is something we really value. We can always do better, but we're honored to earn this three years in a row."

In addition to the three teams, Polk State Athletics also finished the year with a department-wide GPA above 3.0. The College previously set records with 49 FCSAA All-Academic and 24 NJCAA All-Academic selections.

"I'm incredibly proud to be part of a department and an institution that is committed to the success of our student-athletes," said Randy Lee, Polk State Director of Athletics. "This is a testament to our coaches, the department and advisors, staff and, of course, our student-athletes for being dedicated to their studies."