College Sports Information Directors of America

Mississippi State senior catcher Chelsea Bramlett (left) and senior infielder Alison Wright of St. Thomas (Minn.), right, head the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball Teams, named Academic All-America® of the Year Award winners in the College and University Divisions, respectively. Wright became only the second player to earn the softball Academic All-America® of the Year award in back-to-back seasons. 

Wright’s selection completes a remarkable week for St. Thomas, as pitcher Matt Schuld of St. Thomas was honored as the baseball Academic All-America® of the Year (College Division) Tuesday. (Click here for ESPN the Magazine 2010 Academic All-America Baseball Teams.)

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2010 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Softball Teams (University & College Divisions) - PDF

2010 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Softball Teams (University & College Divisions) - .doc

TOWSON, Md. – Senior infielder Alison Wright of St. Thomas (Minn.) and senior catcher Chelsea Bramlett of Mississippi State University head the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Wright and Bramlett were named as the Academic All-America® of the Year Award winners in the College and University Divisions, respectively.

Wright became only the second player ever to earn the Academic All-America® of the Year award for softball in back-to-back seasons. Jenny Esker of Southern Illinois-Edwardsville was honored in 2002 and 2003.

Wright’s selection as the Academic All-America® of the Year completes a remarkable week for St. Thomas (Minn.). On Tuesday, pitcher Matt Schuld of St. Thomas was honored as the Academic All-America® of the Year for the College Division in baseball.

A physical education major with a 3.64 grade point average (GPA), Bramlett was named as an NFCA first team All-Region selection for the fourth time in her career, providing her with the opportunity to become only the second softball player in Southeastern Conference history to be named a first-team All-American four consecutive years. While leading Mississippi State to a 26-29 record, she set the SEC single season record with a .536 batting average as a senior, second in the NCAA. She also set the top career batting mark in SEC history with a .461 average.

Bramlett, a Top 10 finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year and the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, was named first team All-SEC for the fourth conference year. She is also a member of the United States National Team.

A native of Cordova, Tenn., Bramlett broke her own single season record and led the NCAA with 61 stolen bases, including 55 straight to open the season. She recorded a 22-game hitting streak early in the year and had 34 multi-hit games. She set a school record with a league-leading 98 base hits and six triples. The Bulldogs’ career batting leader with a .461 batting average, she also set career records with 359 hits, 219 runs scored and 207 stolen bases, and ranks third in SEC history on the career lists for base hits and runs scored.

Wright is the third consecutive St. Thomas softball player to be named as Academic All-America® of the Year in the College Division. She received the honor in 2009 while former teammate Maria Bye earned the award in 2008.

A business and financial management major with a 3.93 GPA, Wright was named as a third team All-American outfielder in 2010. An All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection for four consecutive years, she was the 2010 MIAC Player of the Year while leading the Tommies to their sixth MIAC championship in seven seasons. She led the MIAC this season by batting .557 in conference games while leading the Tommies to a 21-1 MIAC record. Wright led her team to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division III Regional and a final record of 40-8.

A native of Pewaukee, Wis., Wright led the MIAC with a .451 batting average and 69 hits as a senior. She broke the MIAC record with 262 career base hits. A .469 hitter in her career, she helped lead the Tommies to a 164-23 record over the last four seasons. In her career, Wright hit 24 home runs with 53 doubles and had 85 multiple-hit games.



THE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® SOFTBALL UNIVERSITY DIVISION TEAM

One of five repeat selections on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball University Division first team, Bramlett is one of three SEC players honored, along with senior outfielder Jessica Bachkora of Arkansas and senior infielder Charlotte Morgan of Alabama.

Three of the 11 members of the Academic All-America® Softball University Division first team have GPA’s of 4.00, and the average GPA of the 11 first team selections is an outstanding 3.88.

Morgan was a second team choice on the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball University Division team and earned third team honors in 2008. Senior outfielder Casie Hanson of North Dakota was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball first team for the second time in her career. She was named to the first team in 2008 and earned third team notice in 2007.

Senior infielder Kellie Sirus of Lipscomb earned first team honors for the second consecutive year while senior outfielder Tiffany Wesley of Baylor was named to the second team in 2009.

Senior Paij Lintz (University of Tennessee at Martin) and graduate student Stacie Townsend (Texas El-Paso) are the pitchers on the Academic All-America® Softball University Division first team, while seniors Melissa Chmielewski of North Dakota State and Nina Iduate of Georgia Southern complete the infield. Senior designated player Shannon Smith (Western Kentucky) rounds out the first team.

A kinesiology-biomechanics major who carries a 3.94 GPA, Bachkora set seven single season records at Arkansas in 2010. She set records for batting average (.373), runs scored (62), home runs (15), total bases (131), slugging percentage (.740) and on-base percentage (.500). A second team All-SEC selection who earned first team All-South honors from the NFCA, the Overland Park, Kan. native finished her career as the Razorbacks’ leader with a .300 batting average, 166 runs scored, 227 base hits and 48 doubles. Bachkora helped Arkansas post a 28-29 record.

Named as the SEC Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, Morgan has led number one-ranked Alabama to a 51-9 record and a berth in the NCAA Super Regionals. A criminal justice major with a 3.75 GPA, Morgan led the Crimson Tide to the SEC championship and its sixth straight NCAA regional title. The SEC leader with 16 home runs and 67 runs batted in, her .762 slugging percentage also leads the SEC. A native of Moreno Valley, Cal., she is a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and was the first overall pick in the NFP Draft. Entering the Super Regional against Hawaii, Morgan owns SEC career records with 57 home runs and 257 RBI’s. In 2009, she was selected to the Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team while leading Alabama to a third-place finish.

A community nutrition major with a 3.98 GPA, Hanson led the Great West Conference with a .455 batting average, 50 runs scored, 71 hits, 28 stolen bases, 114 total bases and a .731 slugging percentage. A native of St. Peter, Minn., she led North Dakota to the Great West Tournament championship and was honored as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Hanson holds the UND all-time records for batting average, runs scored, home runs, and total bases. She was also named as the 2010 Great West Player of the Year.

A psychology major with a 3.92 GPA, Sirus is the only repeat selection on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball University Division first team. A native of Sarasota, Fla., she led Lipscomb to a 50-13 record, the Atlantic Sun Conference championship and a runner-up finish at the NCAA Tuscaloosa regional. A first team All-Atlantic Sun Conference selection the last two years, Sirus led the league in slugging percentage (.764), runs scored (56), home runs (17) and runs batted in (56). The fourth-leading hitter in the Atlantic Sun, batting .351, Sirus was named as the MVP at the Atlantic Sun Tournament.

Named to the All-Big 12 Conference first team for the second year in a row, Wesley is a health science studies major with a 3.95 GPA. A native of Baton Rouge, La., Wesley led Baylor with a .384 batting average with four doubles and 14 runs batted in. One of the top base runners in the Big 12, she was a perfect 22-for-22 in stolen base attempts and finished her career with 72 stolen bases, fourth on Baylor’s all-time list. A first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree, she also ranked among the Big 12’s leading hitters while helping Baylor post a 28-25 record in 2010.

The Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year, Lintz helped the University of Tennessee at Martin compile the best record in school history as a senior. The Skyhawks, who won the OVC regular season title, were upset in the OVC Tournament and finished the season with a 47-11 record. An international studies, History and philosophy major with a perfect 4.00 GPA, Lintz posted a 25-3 record with a 2.11 Earned Run Average (ERA), second in the OVC. Lintz rewrote the career pitching record book at UT Martin and owns the career victories record (51). The winner of the OVC Sportsmanship Award, she was also named to the NFCA All-Central Region second team.

Townsend, who earned a perfect 4.00 GPA while pursuing a graduate degree in business administration, led Texas El Paso to a 31-24 record by posting 25 victories. The All-Conference USA first team selection posted a 25-18 record with a 2.54 ERA this season.  In 228 innings of work, Townsend struck out 332 batters. The first player in UTEP history with more than 800 career strikeouts, she set single season records for wins and strikeouts. The Orlando, Fla. native owns school records for career wins (64), strikeouts (802), innings pitched (722) and shutouts (11). She was named as a Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week in February.

Named as the Summit League Player of the Year for the second time, Chmielewski led North Dakota State to a 33-25 record and its second straight Summit League title. A health and physical education major with a 3.83 GPA, she batted a team high .398 this year with 40 runs scored, 19 doubles, 10 home runs and 59 runs batted in. The three-time All-Summit League pick also was named to the NFCA All-Midwest Region second team for the third time in her career.

Iduate, a mathematics major with a 3.65 GPA, led Georgia Southern and the Southern Conference with .450 batting average, setting a school record and a Southern Conference mark. The 11th-leading hitter in NCAA Division I, Iduate led the conference with 85 base hits. Named as the Southern Conference Player of the Year, the Norcross, Ga. native was named first team All-Southern Conference three times. The Eagles’ career leader with a .371 batting average, Iduate initiated the first ever triple play for the Eagles from the shortstop position.

An accounting major with a perfect 4.00 GPA, Smith finished an injury-plagued senior season with a .329 batting average. Named as the Western Kentucky Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2010, she was also honored with the Gordon Ford College of Business Outstanding Accounting Senior Award. Despite an early-season injury, the Portage, Mich. native played in 29 games.


THE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® SOFTBALL COLLEGE DIVISION TEAM

The average G.P.A. of the 11 members of the Academic All-America® College Division first team is an amazing 3.94.

In addition to Wright, senior infielder Becky Bailey of Rensselaer Polytechnic and K.C. Blahnik of Lakeland are repeat selections on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball College Division first team. Bailey was named to the second team in 2009 and Blahnik earned third team notice last year.

St. Thomas is the only school with more than one representative on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball College Division first team as senior pitcher Marta Radcliffe joins Wright.

All 11 members of the first team are seniors: pitcher Lauren Shaheen of California (Pa.), catcher Lauren Craig (Midwestern State) and Ohio Wesleyan infielder Rita Cook. Outfielders Billie Callahan (Texas Woman’s University), Amie Heinzelman (Wisconsin-Oshkosh) and Anderson’s Meredith Knox round out the first team, along with designated player Jessica Jones of Pittsburg State.

A native of Rome, N.Y., Bailey started all 38 games this season, leading RPI in runs scored (32) and stolen bases (10-12). A chemical engineering major with a 3.95 GPA, she was named to the All-Liberty League second team for the second straight year. The league leader in stolen bases, she batted .348 to rank among the leading hitters in the league. She led RPI to a 19-18-1 record. A member of the Liberty League All-Academic Team, she interned with the ExxonMobil, Indium Corp. & Air Force Research labs.

A psychology major with a 3.93 GPA, Blahnik was honored as the Northern Athletics Conference Woman of the Year as she impressively was selected as the NAC Player of the Year in both softball and women's basketball. She batted .437 while leading the Muskies to a 27-18 record. As a junior, Blahnik led the Muskies to a 30-win season while earning NAC Player of the Year honors. A three-time selection as first team All-NAC, she hit seven home runs with 36 runs batted in as a senior. She also led the NAC with 58 runs scored, a mark that ranks her fifth in the nation. The Gladstone, Mich. native was also named to the NFCA Great Lakes All-Region first team for the second year in a row.

A psychology major who has registered a 3.76 GPA, Radcliffe posted a 26-5 record with a 1.30 Earned Run Average for St. Thomas as a senior. She was the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference leader with a 1.30 E.R.A. while also leading the MIAC with 204 innings pitched, 218 strikeouts and 26 victories. A native of Lakeville, Minn., she was named to the Louisville Slugger/ NFCA Division II All-American second team after helping the Tommies win their sixth MIAC title in seven years. Named as the MIAC Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season, she was also named to the All-MIAC team and was the Most Valuable Player at the MIAC Tournament. She finished her career with a 68-14 record, including a 43-2 conference record. She also recorded 533 strikeouts.

A History major with a 3.96 GPA, Shaheen compiled a 19-5 record with a 1.53 E.R.A. in 2010, second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. A native of Greenburg, Pa., she ranked among the league leaders in strikeouts (145), wins (19) and appearances (30). Shaheen was named as the PSAC West Pitcher of the Year and earned All-PSAC first team honors while leading 13th-ranked California (Pa.) to a 37-14 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II regionals. As a senior, Shaheen earned wins in 15 straight appearances and threw 34.2 consecutive scoreless innings.

The Lone Star Conference Player of the Year, Craig led fifth-ranked Midwestern State to a 54-10 record and an NCAA regional championship. A psychology major with a perfect 4.00 GPA, she batted .348 with five home runs with 49 runs batted in. A native of Frisco, Tex., Craig was an outstanding defensive catcher with a .994 fielding percentage. Honored as the LSC North Division Academic Player of the Year, she was the winner of the Marie Morgan Award as Midwestern State’s Most Outstanding Female Student-Athlete.

An ACS chemistry major with a 3.97 GPA, Cook was the leading hitter for Ohio Wesleyan with a .380 batting average. A native of Sidney, Ohio, she earned honorable mention All-North Coast Athletic Conference honors after leading the Bishops to a 24-15 overall record. With a 10-4 record in NCAC play, Ohio Wesleyan tied for first place in the league standings. A third baseman, Cook also led the Bishops with 32 runs batted in while hitting 13 doubles and four home runs. Her twin sister, Sarah Cook, is the starting shortstop for the Bishops and earned third team notice on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Softball College Division team. The Cook sisters formed the left side of the Battling Bishops’ infield the last two years.

Callahan, a kinesiology major holding a 3.95 GPA, earned a berth on the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-South Central Region first team. She led Texas Woman’s University with 47 runs scored, 10 home runs, 16 doubles, a .702 slugging percentage and a .470 on base percentage. Callahan also drove in 46 runs while leading the Pioneers to a 39-22 record and an NCAA regional appearance. A native of Austin, Tex., she was named to the Lone Star Conference South Division first team.

A physical education major with a 3.97 GPA, Heinzelman led Wisconsin-Oshkosh with nine home runs while batting .387 with 13 doubles and 44 runs batted in. Named to the Louisville Slugger/ NFCA All-America third team, she led the Titans to a 22-21 record. A native of Monroe, Wis., she was also named to the Great Lakes All-Region team and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-League team.

A first team All-Carolinas Conference selection, Knox led Anderson (S.C.) with a .418 batting average, 13 doubles and 43 runs scored. A theology and religion major carrying a 3.90 GPA, she ranked among the conference leaders with 11 home runs and 40 runs batted in. Named to the all-tournament team at the Carolinas Conference Championship, she led the Trojans to a 27-18 record as a senior.

An early/late childhood education major with a 3.97 GPA, Jones was the second-leading hitter for Pittsburg State as a senior. She batted.338 in 50 games while scoring 17 runs and driving in 27 runs. A four-time member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association all-conference team, she helped the Gorillas post a 20-29-1 record. A native of Osawatomie, Kan., she finished her career with 25 home runs, the second highest total in school history.

ABOUT THE CoSIDA ESPN the MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® PROGRAM

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.
ESPN The Magazine – winner of the 2006 and 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence – is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized biweekly with a circulation of 1.9 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports.

For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit http://www.cosida.com/Awards/allamerica.aspx .

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dan O’Connell, Towson University
email: doconnell@towson.edu
phone: (410) 704-3102
Academic All-America® Vice-Chair For Publicity/Communications

Mandi Bryson
College of Charleston
email: CopelandA@cofc.edu
phone: (843) 953-5289
Academic All-America® Coordinator of Publicity