2016-2017 President's Report

ATHLETIC SUCCESS – All 10 Warrior sports teams qualified for and competed in postseason play last year – the only community college in the state that can make that claim. Five of the 10 teams were ranked among the best in the nation during the 2016-17 year, including baseball No. 6, softball No. 8, men’s tennis No. 17, football No. 21, and golf No. 24. The ECCC football team won its first-ever MACJC South Division Championship and qualified for the MACJC football playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in 40 years.

TEAM ACADEMIC SUCCESS – The ECCC women’s tennis team was named the overall women’s Academic All-State Team in the 15-team Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges and was among five varsity sports teams at the college to earn National Junior College Athletic Association Academic Team of the Year honorable mention awards for having met the grade-point average requirement of 3.00 or better for the 2016-17 season. The Lady Warriors finished with a 3.71 GPA and were ranked third in the NJCAA among women’s tennis teams. The baseball, softball, women’s soccer, and men’s tennis teams also received national honorable mention honors. STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMIC HONORS – In all, 73 ECCC student-athletes were named MACJC Academic All-State for having a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher and 51 student-athletes were named NJCAA Academic All-American, including 21 who received the NJCAA Pinnacle Award for Academic Excellence and NJCAA All-Academic First Team for achieving a 4.0 GPA.

RURAL PHYSICIANS/ DENTISTS SCHOLARSHIPS – May 2017 East Central Community College graduates Makenzie Byrd of Sebastopol and Emily Dykeman of Forest were selected to participate in the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program. The program identifies rural college students who aspire to return to their roots to practice medicine. May 2017 graduates Morgan Cain of Carthage (left) and Graham Murphree of Little Rock (right) were chosen for the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program. Similar to the Rural Physicians Program, it identifies rural college students who aspire to return to their roots to practice general dentistry.

SKILLSUSA NATIONAL CHAMPION – ECCC Career & Technical student Cauley Mayo of Louin (left) placed first in the nation in the Industrial Motor Controls category at the 53rd annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Competition held June 19-23 in Louisville, Ky. More than 16,000 people, including students, teachers and business partners, participated in the weeklong event. Jacob Perry of Louisville Perry placed 18th in Plumbing.

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