AMERICUS, Ga. -- Georgia Southwestern State University Athletics ranked seventh among NCAA Division II institutions for community service during the 2025-26 academic year, according to the NCAA Community Engagement Report presented by Helper Helper.
The finish gives the Hurricanes three consecutive years inside the Division II top 10. GSW led the nation in 2023-24 before placing fourth in 2024-25.
"Community service has become part of who we are at GSW Athletics, and this recognition reflects the willingness of our student-athletes to show up for Americus and the surrounding communities," GSW Assistant Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator
Caitlin Downs said. "We are proud of the national ranking, but we are even more proud of the relationships our student-athletes continue to build through every hour they give."
GSW produced five top-eight finishes in the Division II sport-specific standings. Softball and women's tennis each ranked No. 1 nationally in their respective categories. Baseball and women's cross country finished fourth, with cross country competing in the report's combined women's track and cross country category, while women's soccer placed eighth.
The Helper Helper report also ranked GSW softball fourth and women's tennis eighth among all Division II women's teams, regardless of sport.
Schools in the Helper Helper standings are evaluated using a combination of service hours per student-athlete and team participation rate. The Peach Belt Conference ranked fourth among all Division II conferences.
Department records captured approximately 3,500 hours of community service during the school year, with additional volunteer hours completed but not reported. Baseball led GSW programs with 951 hours, while softball contributed 648 hours. Women's soccer student-athlete
Cassidy Brunner was among the department's individual leaders with 124 volunteer hours.
GSW student-athletes served people throughout Americus and Southwest Georgia through a wide range of projects. Their work included reading to students at local schools, playing Bingo with residents at Magnolia Manor, assembling Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes and assisting with Special Olympics events during both the fall and spring semesters.
The Hurricanes also supported the Morgan Whaley Softball Benefit Tournament, held in honor of the GSW faculty member, and participated in The Big Event, a campus-wide service initiative that partnered with the Fuller Center for Housing and other local organizations.
"Our student-athletes understand that representing GSW extends well beyond competition," Downs said. "Whether they are working with children, spending time with senior adults or helping at one of our community's special events, they bring the same teamwork and positive attitude that they display in their sports."
GSW's service efforts extended into charitable fundraising as well. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee earned the Peach Belt Conference's LeeAnn Noble Make-A-Wish Most Improved Award after increasing its giving by more than 97 percent from the previous year. It marked the second time in three years the Hurricanes received the conference recognition.
Across all three NCAA divisions, nearly 58,000 student-athletes recorded 637,205 service hours through 20,100 volunteer opportunities during 2025-26. Helper Helper estimated the combined economic impact at $23 million. Division II institutions accounted for 229,988 hours through 5,343 opportunities.
