Panola College Athletes Selected to the NJCAA Distinguished Academic All-American Team

Three Panola College graduates have been selected to the 2005 Distinguished NJCAA Academic All-American Team.  As Distinguished Academic All-Americans, Phillip Lynch, Rachelle Aupperle, and Deborah Heke will join an elite group of 49 student athletes selected from throughout the United States.  To qualify for the prestigious honor each athlete must have graduated from a community college with a grade point average of 3.80 or better. 

Phillip Lynch, of Beaumont, Texas has signed a baseball scholarship to play at Texas State University for 2005-06. Phillip was one of 5 athletes in the nation that completed with a GPA of 4.0.  He was selected All-Conference and All Region both years while leading the Pony Baseball team to two NJCAA Regional playoffs.  Phillip compiled a record of 19-5 on the mound for the Ponies with a 2.85 era.  Lynch also received the coveted “Lowery Award” from Panola College, which is given to the outstanding male and female student-athletes each year at Panola College.

Rachelle Aupperle, of Saskatchewan, Canada, has signed a volleyball scholarship to Bethoune-Cookman University in Georgia. Rachelle was also one of the five student-athletes selected in the nation that completed two years with a GPA of 4.0.  Rachelle was a member of the Panola Volleyball team that participated in its ninth straight NJCAA playoff birth in nine years of the program. 

Deborah Heke, of Auckland, New Zealand, was a member of the 2004-05 Panola Fillies basketball team that won an NJCAA Regional Championship and competed in the NJCAA Women’s Basketball National Tournament.  Deborah was selected to the All-American Team with a GPA of 3.81.