View the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball (.pdf)
TOWSON, Md. – Senior pitcher
Stacey Nelson of the University of Florida and junior outfielder
Alison Wright of the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) head the 2009
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Nelson and Wright were named as the Academic All-America® of the Year Award winners in the University and College Divisions respectively.
A Philosophy major, Nelson is one of three finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award and was named as a first team Academic All-America® for the second year in a row. A native of Los Alamitos, Cal.,she has been honored as the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year for the second time. A senior Philosophy major with a 3.66 G.P.A., Nelson has led the number one-ranked Gators to a 60-3 record and a berth in the NCAA College World Series.
Nelson has a 39-3 record with a 0.41 E.R.A. with 31 complete games and 20 shutouts. She has pitched 255 innings and has 321 strikeouts. With a career record of 134-34, she is eighth on the NCAA career list of victory leaders and ranks second in the SEC. Nelson is a two-time NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-American and has been named All-Southeast Region and All-SEC three times. A finalist for the LOWE’S Senior Class Award, she holds seven career records at Florida.
Wright is the second consecutive St. Thomas softball player to be named as Academic All-America® of the Year in the College Division. Last year, former teammate Maria Bye earned the award.
A Business and Financial Management major with a 3.91 G.P.A., Wright was named as a first team All-American outfielder in 2009. She ranked among the top hitters in NCAA Division III with a .500 average.
A native of Pewaukee, Wis., Wright led the Tommies to a 40-6 record and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and was named as the MIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. A three-time All-MIAC selection, she had a 34-game hitting streak during the 2009 season, the third longest in NCAA Division III history.
In only three seasons, Wright has had 65 multi-hit games. In 2009, she belted 10 home runs and ranked eighth in NCAA Division III with 59 RBI’s in 46 games. She also scored 49 runs and hit 16 doubles. Her .803 slugging percentage ranked her among the national leaders.
One of four repeat selections on Academic All-America® University Division first team, Nelson is one of two Gators named to the first team as senior catcher Kristina Hilberth was also honored. Senior outfielders Lillian Hammond of Tennessee and Lisa Kingsmore of Winthrop were named to the first team for the second consecutive year while senior designated player Colleen McGlaughlin of Iowa was also a repeat selection.
Senior outfielder Kailtin Cochran of Arizona State earned first team honors after being named to the second team in 2008. A pair of third team Academic All-America® picks in 2008, senior pitcher Molly Hill of Nebraska and senior infielder Whitney Haller of Georgia Tech were named to the first team.
Senior infielder Alex Colyer of Baylor, senior infielder Andrea Lazzari of Wagner and junior infielder Kellie Sirus of Lipscomb complete the Academic All-America® University Division first team.
A three-time first team Academic All-America® outfielder, Hammond has a double major of Sociology and Criminal Justice with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, she was a three-year starter in leftfield for the Lady Vols. As a senior, she batted .309 and scored 40 runs. She stole 27 of 29 bases while helping 15th-ranked Tennessee post a 40-18-1 record. Honored as the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, she finished her career with a .352 batting average and 72 stolen bases in 77 tries. In 2007, she was a starter for the Lady Vols team which lost to Arizona in the national championship game.
Selected as the Big South Conference Player of the Year for the second time, Kingsmore is a senior Chemistry major with a 3.98 G.P.A. In 2009, she hit .458, third in the Big South. A native of Brampton, Ontario, Canada, Kingsmore finished her career as Winthrop’s all-time leader with 283 base hits. A three-time All-Region first team pick, she was named as the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year twice. As a junior, she set a school record when she batted .483 and earned second team NFCA All-American honors. In addition to being named as a first team Academic All-America® pick in 2008, she earned second team notice as a sophomore in 2007. As a senior, she led Winthrop to a 26-21 record while hitting 12 doubles and nine home runs with 37 runs batted in.
An Actuarial Science major with a 4.00 G.P.A., McGlaughlin led Iowa to a 42-16 record and an NCAA Tournament berth as a senior. Named first team All-Big Ten Conference, she led the Hawkeyes with a .348 batting average and a team-leading 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 49 RBI’s. Named to the All-Region team for the third time, the Morton, Ill. native ranks among the Iowa career leaders with 21 home runs. Named to the Academic All-America® University Division first team in 2008, she was a very versatile player who saw action at four different positions as a senior.
A four-year starter in the outfield for tenth-ranked Arizona State, Cochran has a double major of Secondary Education and Mathematics with a 3.51 G.P.A. One of the top hitters for the Sun Devils’ national championship team in 2008, she is a three-time first team All-American. The native of Yorba Linda, Cal. is a finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. The Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Year twice, she owns virtually every offensive record at Arizona State. One of the top 25 hitters in the nation, she is batting .422 with 67 runs scored, 11 doubles, 20 home runs and 59 runs batted in. Ranked ninth in the nation in homers, she is fourth nationally with a .905 slugging percentage. Cochran has helped the Sun Devils to a 46-17 record and their fourth consecutive berth in the College World Series.
A Sport Management major with a 3.83 G.P.A., Hilberth is the starting catcher for the Gators, the top seed in this year’s NCAA tournament with a 60-3 record. A three-year starter, she is the Gators’ second-leading hitter with a .389 batting average. She has scored 34 runs with 20 RBI’s. A two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, she is an outstanding defensive catcher with a school record .996 career fielding percentage. The Dunedin, Fla. native will serve a summer internship at Nike.
A Speech Pathology and Audiology major with a 3.97 G.P.A., Hill posted a 25-15 record as a senior for Nebraska. In 2009, she pitched in 47 games with 39 starts with 27 complete games and six shutouts. In 257 innings, she struck out 185 batters and had a 1.66 E.R.A. A Wayne, Neb. native, she earned All-Big 12 Conference first team honors while leading the Cornhuskers to a 35-19 record and an NCAA Tournament berth. A two-year co-captain, she finished her career with a 75-43 record and a 1.96 E.R.A. She pitched in 125 games in her career and threw 79 complete games and 19 shutouts. A third team Academic All-America® pick in 2008, she was named as an Academic All-Big 12 selection twice.
A four-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick, Haller is an Industrial Engineering major with a 3.94 G.P.A. An Academic All-America® third team selection last year, she was a four-year starter at first base for Georgia Tech. The fourth-leading hitter in the ACC with a .383 mark, she led the 14th-ranked Yellow Jackets to a 46-14 record and the ACC championship as well as a berth in the NCAA Super Regionals. The ACC leader with 55 RBI’s, the Marietta, Ga. native is second in the ACC with 12 home runs. A two-time All-Southeast region selection, she earned All-American honors as a junior. With 61 career homers, she is the ACC’s all-time leader. She also ranks among the ACC career leaders with a .355 batting average and 228 RBI’s.
A three-year starter at first base, Colyer hit .360 while leading Baylor to a 40-22 record and a berth in the NCAA Super Regionals. A second team All-Big 12 pick in 2009, she is a Pre-Med major with a minor in Health Sciences and a 3.90 G.P.A. The Houston, Texas native led the Bears with 36 runs scored and 67 hits. She hit four home runs with 26 RBI’s. She was named to the Big 12 All-Academic team three times.
The Northeast Conference Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009, Lazzari was a four-year starter at first base for Wagner. Lazzari, who has a double major in Sociology and Education with a 3.83 G.P.A., finished her career with school records for hits (238), doubles (50) and home runs (34). A first team All-Region pick twice, she hit .412 as a senior with 16 home runs, setting an NEC mark and a school record. A native of Reno, Nevada, she led the Seahawks in runs scored (42), hits (70), doubles (11), and RBI’s (51).
A Psychology major with a 3.92 G.P.A., Sirus is the only junior named to the Academic All-America® University Division first team. A first team All-Atlantic Sun Conference first baseman, she was the fourth-leading hitter in the league with a team high .420 batting average. A native of Sarasota, Fla., she had 71 base hits, third in the league. She ranked among the Atlantic Sun leaders with 17 doubles, 11 homers, 48 RBI’s and 123 total bases. A solid defensive player, she had a .990 fielding percentage. A three-time member of the Atlantic Sun All-Academic team, she was a second team all-conference pick in 2008.
The 11 members of the Academic All-America® University Division first team have an average G.P.A. of 3.87.
In the College Division, senior catcher Catherine Beuerle of Shenandoah and senior Rachael Click of Gustavus Adolphus were named to the Academic All-America® first team for the second year in a row. A pair of second team selections last year, senior infielder Rachel Haines of St. Cloud State and senior designated player Jenny Jackson of Mount Olive earned first team honors this year.
Shenandoah is the only school with more than one representative on the Academic All-America® College Division first team. Senior pitcher Katie Haskins joins Beuerle as Hornets on the first team.
Junior pitcher Sonia Petrosoniak of California (Pa.), senior infielder Anna Braner of Olivet and senior infielder Amy Daniels of Wartburg join senior outfielders Cara DeStigter of Morningside and Amy Gahl of Wisconsin-Whitewater on the Academic All-America® College Division first team.
A senior from Lynchburg, Va., Beuerle batted .303 this season and was named first team All-USA South for the third time. Majoring in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, she has a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. An NFCA All-Region selection, she helped the Hornets to a 30-13 record while scoring 25 runs with five doubles, one home run and 17 runs batted in. Honored as Shenandoah’s Student Athlete of the Year award winner for a second consecutive year, she is a member of the Alpha Chi and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies. She has also spent time as a student tutor and a physical therapy volunteer.
Beuerle’s battery mate, Haskins is also a Doctor of Physical Therapy major with a 3.91 G.P.A. The Montville, N.J. native was selected as the USA South Conference Pitcher of the Year for the second time. She was a four-time all-conference performer during her career, earning honors as a pitcher, outfielder and utility player. Haskins posted a 17-5 record this year with a 1.40 E.R.A. In 150 innings, she had 170 strikeouts and 39 walks. She pitched 19 complete games, including six shutouts.
An Elementary Education major with a 3.90 G.P.A., Click was a third team Academic All-America® pick as a sophomore before earning first team notice last year. A four-year starter at shortstop, she was the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Player of the Year. The leading hitter in the MIAC with a .456 batting average, she set a school record with 16 home runs. A four-time All-MIAC pick, she ended her career with a school record 35 homers. Click led the MIAC with 127 total bases and a .934 slugging percentage. She capped off her career by leading the Gusties to a third place finish at the NCAA Division III College World Series. The Rochester, Minn. native led the Gusties to a 42-9 record. She was named as a second team All-American by the NFCA.
A four-year starter at second base for the Huskies, Haines is a Biomedical Sciences major with a 4.00 GPA. As a senior, she led St. Cloud State with 35 runs scored while batting .333. One of the Huskies’ captains, she batted .312 in her career, setting school records for games played (224), hits (239), and runs (139). She also set school records with 73 stolen bases in 84 attempts. A native of Pepin, Wis., she has been accepted to the University of Minnesota School of Medicine for Genetics Counseling.
A Mathematics major with a 3.82 G.P.A., Jackson hit .319 with a team high six homers and 18 RBI’s for the Trojans, who ended the season with a 25-18-1 record. A native of Freemont, N.C., Jackson was named first team All-Conference Carolinas three times.
One of only two juniors on the Academic All-America® College Division first team, Petrosoniak is an International Studies major with a 4.00 G.P.A. She led California (Pa.) to a 35-10 record and a second place finish at the NCAA Division II Atlantic regional tournament. A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, she earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference notice twice. In 2009, she posted an 11-0 record with a 1.49 E.R.A. In her career for the Vulcans, she has a 27-13 record with a 1.49 E.R.A.
An Insurance and Risk Management major with a 3.98 G.P.A., Braner was a three-year starter at third base for Olivet. Named to the All-MIAA team, she led the Comets in hitting (.459), runs scored (40), hits (50), doubles (14), and total bases (80). An All-Region pick, the Belmond, Iowa native led Olivet to a 23-11 record. An excellent defensive player, she had two errors and a .984 fielding percentage. A President’s List student, she was the Vice President of Gamma Iota Sigma, the professional insurance fraternity.
A Business Administration major with a 3.94 G.P.A., Daniels led Wartburg to a 37-8 record and a trip to the NCAA Division III regional tournament. The Knights’ top hitter with a .407 batting average, she also led the team with 45 runs scored, 14 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 35 RBI’s. She helped the Knights post their seventh straight 30-win season. A native of Cedar Falls, Iowa, she is a member of the Alpha Chi and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies and works with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
A Biology and Chemistry major with a 3.96 G.P.A., DeStigter was an honorable mention NAIA All-American this year. The leading hitter for Morningside with a .387 batting average, she hit 10 doubles, one triple, a team-leading eight home runs and 55 runs batted in. A first team All-Great Plains Athletic Conference pick, she led the Mustangs with a .607 slugging percentage. Led by DeStigter, the Mustangs posted a 34-21 record and made their first NAIA National Tournament appearance since 1982. A two-time all-conference volleyball player, the Dakota Dunes, S.D. native also competed in three tournaments as a member of the Morningside golf team this spring.
A Psychology major with a 3.66 G.P.A., Gahl was a first team All-America choice as a senior after batting .435 while leading the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) with 52 runs scored and 67 base hits. A three-time All-WIAC pick, she led Wisconsin Whitewater to a 38-7 record and the WIAC title. A first team all-region pick, the Beloit, Wis. native was the WIAC Player of the Year.
The average of the 11 members of the Academic All-America® College Division first team was an amazing 3.92 G.P.A.
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
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