Avery Mullendore has already proven her skill with the glove after earning outstanding defensive player honors at the NJCAA National Softball Championships. Now she has added another honor to her collection after earning the 2015 Dr. James H. Atkinson Cup as the Blinn College student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average.
A sophomore from Fort Worth, Mullendore maintained a 3.952 GPA over two years at Blinn.
"Avery has always been very good in the classroom and she is also very smart on the field in the way she plays," said Rick Church, Blinn softball coach. "She was consistent in her daily preparation and went about her business."
Mullendore, a second baseman, batted .308 with four singles and two runs scored at the NJCAA National Championships in St. George, Utah. For the season, Mullendore hit .307 with 25 runs batted in and eight doubles.
Blinn placed fifth at the national tournament and ended the season with a 45-16 overall record and a Region XIV Conference championship.
The Atkinson Cup, sponsored by the Buccaneer Alumni Lettermen Association, began in 2000 to honor the top sophomore student-athlete with the highest GPA in a minimum of 48 transferable hours. The award is named for former Blinn athletic director and president, the late Dr. James H. Atkinson.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 32 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit: www.buccaneersports.com.
About Blinn College
A comprehensive community college committed to educational excellence and to individual and community enhancement, Blinn College has served its 13-county Central Texas region since 1883. With an enrollment of 19,317 students, Blinn ranks among the nation's leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for affordable educational excellence.
Blinn offers job seekers the skills and credentials they need to succeed in the region's fast-growing industries, and partners with local businesses to provide skills development training for incumbent employees. Each year, Blinn programs and students make a $345.3 million impact on the local economy.
For more information about Blinn College and exciting student success initiatives such as Destination Success: First-Year Focus and the TEAM Program, visit: www.blinn.edu or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
