Marco Velazquez-Vazquez set the bar high for student-athletes
The NJCAA Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo., recently announced recipients of the 2011-2012 NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Awards. Dakota County Technical College’s Marco Velazquez-Vazquez earned a 3.77 GPA, receiving the NJCAA Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement. “It was amazing to receive the award,” said Velazquez-Vazquez. “Working full-time and attending school full-time is a lot of pressure. I feel relieved that my hard work has paid off.”
Velazquez-Vazquez, from Southwest High School, earned an associate degree in the Automotive Technician program last spring. Since he began at DCTC in the fall of 2009, he has been named to the president’s list every semester, also an honor that acknowledges high academic achievement.
“Not only has Marco set a high standard with grades, he was a great team member and the most unselfish, hardworking teammate you could ask for,” said Cam Stoltz, Head Soccer Coach. “He is an example of someone who can do it all and do it all well.”
Nearly 60,000 student-athletes competed in the NJCAA during the 2011-2012 academic year, but only 1,680 student-athletes met the requirements for individual academic honors. The NJCAA academic awards have been recognizing student-athletes’ academic success since 1983.
Academic Student-Athlete Awards
The NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Awards were previously known as NJCAA Academic All-American honors. The NJCAA has renamed its academic awards program to the following:
NJCAA Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence (4.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale)
NJCAA Award for Superior Academic Achievement (3.80 to 3.99 on a 4.00 scale)
NJCAA Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement (3.60 to 3.79 on a 4.00 scale)
About NJCAA
Since 1938 the National Junior College Athletic Association has been the governing body of two-year college athletics, offering athletic and academic opportunities to college students. Now entering its 75th anniversary, the NJCAA is the second largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in the United States with over 500 member schools in 43 states. Each year over 60,000 student-athletes compete in one of 28 different sports and the organization sponsors 48 national championship events and nine football bowl games. NJCAA Headquarters has been located in Colorado Springs, Colo., since 1985.
For more information about Blue Knights Athletics at DCTC, contact:
- Cam Stoltz
Head Soccer Coach and Athletic Director
651-423-8462
