The California Community College Athletic Association has announced its academic awards for the 2014-15 year, and the Ventura College is home to two State Scholar Team recipients. Both the women's basketball and men's tennis teams earned the highest academic team achievement given annually by the CCCAA. It is Ventura College's 29th and 30th such awards since 1997-98. At least one Pirate team has been honored in each of the past 16 academic years.
The women's basketball team earned a combined 3.39 GPA for the fall 2014 semester. The team had 11 of the 14 student athletes achieve over a 3.0 GPA, led by five CCCWBCA Academic All-State selections, Felicia Magana, Madison O'Donnell, Carly Maciel, Christina Gonzalez, Micaela Pericone-Kapp and Carolyn Ruffino. The team finished the season with a 26-6 record, including a perfect 12-0 record in Western State Conference North Division play, claiming the program's 25th consecutive conference title. They advanced to the State Sweet 16 round of the 2015 playoffs. It is the third State Scholar Team award for the program, which also claimed the honor in 2001-02 and 2008-09.
The men's tennis team won the State Schola Team award for the second time, having previously been honored in 2013, with a spring GPA of 3.33. Eight of the 11 players earned above a 3.0, led by Michael Burr, Ricardo Martin and Victor Ribeiro, all with perfect academic marks. Undefeated state singles champion Hironori Koyanagi also earned above a 3.0 GPA in the classroom. The team returned t the top of the Western State Conference, achieving a 6-0 conference mark, posting an overall record of 10-4. VC advanced to the first round of the state dual playoffs.
The Scholar Team Award is the highest academic team achievement given annually by the CCCAA. All team members must have excelled academically with a total GPA of 3.0 or higher. The team should have demonstrated better than average accomplishments in intercollegiate athletic competition. The program began in the 1994-95 school year. All the 2014-15 Scholar Teams will be honored at the Celebration of Scholar Athletes Luncheon, during the 19th Annual CCCAA Convention, on Wednesday March 30, at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Ontario, CA.