Thibodeau, Jadotte recognized as NATYCAA Scholar-Athletes Honorable Mentions
May 18, 2022
Community College of Rhode Island scholar-athletes Talia Thibodeau (Cranston, RI) and Theonoah Jadotte(Providence, RI) were selected as Honorable Mentions on this year's National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Scholar-Athlete Team.
Eleven scholar-athletes are chosen from two-year colleges nationwide with an additional 28 listed as Honorable Mentions.
To be eligible for NATYCAA scholar-athlete awards, nominees must maintain a minimum 3.6 GPA on a 4.0 scale with a minimum of 36 semester hours; participate in a minimum of one complete season of varsity competition; and display outstanding athletics success in addition to outstanding qualities of leadership and citizenship.
“Congratulations to Talia and Theo!” said CCRI Director of Athletics Kevin Salisbury. “They are now among the best of the best across the country. Part of our CCRI athletic mission statement is to support all students in achieving their full educational and athletic potential in an environment of academic excellence. Talia and Theo understand the importance of academic excellence and have risen to the top with their efforts.”
Thibodeau, a sophomore, finished with a 3.78 GPA as a co-captain on this year's CCRI women's basketball team, which finished 17-7 overall and won the Region XXI Championship to earn a No. 10 seed in the 2022 NJCAA Division-III Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Jadotte, a freshman, finished with a 3.52 GPA and averaged 14.2 points per game in addition to 14.5 rebounds while starting 20 of 28 regular-season games for the men's basketball team, which finished 23-5 and also won the Region XXI Championship to earn a No. 3 seed in the NJCAA D-III Men’s Basketball Tournament. Jadotte also set a new CCRI record for rebounds in a game with 34 on February 17 against Bunker Hill Community College and finished No. 1 in the nation with 177 offensive rebounds.
Both students were recognized this year as exceptional scholar-athletes by the Rhode Island House of Representatives.
Established in 1987, the NATYCAA represents athletic directors from approximately 700 two-year colleges in the United States and is dedicated to the continuing growth and development of two-year college athletics and the individuals involved through exchange of information, monitoring of legislation, promotion of academic excellence and increasing communication between organizations while encouraging a high degree of integrity in all endeavors. The NATYCAA is one of 17 professional associations operating under the guidance of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is the universal governing body for athletic directors representing more than 1,600 U.S. colleges and universities.