2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Softball Teams release dates:
College Division Teams: LINK
NCAA Division III Teams: below
NCAA Division II Teams: Wed., May 25
NCAA Division I Teams: Thr., May 26
• Academic All-America® website
• Academic All-America® Softball Team - Division III
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – Senior pitcher
Courtney Allen of Messiah headlines the 2016 Academic All-America® Division III Softball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
An accounting major with a 3.96 grade-point average, Allen was selected as the winner of the CoSIDA Division III Academic All-America® of the Year award for softball.
The CoSIDA Division III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2015-16 Division III Academic All-America® teams program.
A senior from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Allen repeated as a CoSIDA Academic All-America® first-team selection, one of seven individuals who have earned multiple CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors among the 33 players selected to this year’s three teams.
Twenty of the 33 members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® softball teams have a 3.90 or better grade-point average, with eight achieving a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. The 11 members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division III softball first team maintain an average G.P.A of 3.93.
Allen earned Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Pitcher of the Year honors in her first collegiate season in the pitching circle, after playing her first three season as the Falcons’ centerfielder. A three-time All-MAC Commenwealth first-team honoree, Allen has also earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-East Region honors for the third straight season.
This season, Allen is 26-1 with a 1.52 earned-run average in 29 appearances over 179.2 innings, striking out 152 while walking 74 and allowing a .220 opponent batting average. At the plate, she is hitting .357 with 34 runs scored, 13 extra-base hits (six doubles, five triples, two home runs) 31 RBI, a .510 slugging percentage and .439 on-base percentage for the 44-4 Falcons, who will play in the NCAA Division III National Championships this coming weekend in Salem, Virginia.
In addition to her exploits on the field, Allen received first-place honors at Messiah’s second annual Impact Venture Challenge, creating a nonprofit startup called “Accounting Across Borders,” which is intended to provide an accounting and bookkeeping service to missionaries across the world, especially in third-world countries.
Texas Lutheran senior pitcher Taylor Grissom earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® first-team honors this season, after being named to the third team last year. An education major with a 3.92 G.P.A. from Spring, Texas, Grissom earned Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year honors for the third straight season, while also earning a spot on the NFCA All-West Region second team for the second straight season.
She finished 16-1 with a save and a 1.50 ERA in 22 appearances and 102.2 innings for TLU this season, striking out 41 while walking 19 and allowing a .238 opponent batting average for the Bulldogs, who won the SCAC title for the third straight season and finished 43-5. In three seasons at TLU, Grissom finished her career at 45-6 with a 1.09 ERA.
Widener senior infielder Alie Alkins, an early education and special education major with a 4.00 G.P.A. from Aston, Pennsylvania, was named as a CoSIDA Academic All-America® first-team honoree after earning second-team honors last year. She was named as the valedictorian of the Widener Class of 2016.
A four-time All-MAC Commonwealth selection, Alkins earned NFCA All-East Region third-team honors this season. The shortstop hit .395 with 39 runs scored, 12 doubles, three triples, a home run, 32 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .558 slugging percentage and .466 on-base percentage for the 31-11 Pride. A career .393 hitter with 89 RBI and 118 runs scored, Alkins served as an Oskin Leader at Widener, while also leading a team fundraiser to combat a rare genetic brain malformation known as lissencephaly. She also served as a youth literacy trainer.
Aurora senior pitcher Vanessa Hartzell, a CoSIDA Academic All-America® first-team selection last year, earned second-team honors this year. A criminal justice major with a 3.93 G.P.A. from Highland, Indiana, Hartzell finished 20-9 with seven saves, three shutouts, a 1.63 ERA in 39 appearances, striking out 195 while allowing 48 walks and a .237 opponent batting average in 189.1 innings pitched. A three-time Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Pitcher of the Year and four-time all-conference selection, she earned NFCA All-Great Lakes Region first-team honors this season and second-team honors last season.
Hamline junior infielder Mary-Clare Couillard earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® second-team honors this season, after being named to the third team last year. A psychology/public health major with a 4.00 G.P.A. from Fridley, Minnesota, the second baseman earned her third straight selection to the All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference squad, and was named to the NFCA All-Central Region third team for the second straight year. She hit .407 this season with 30 runs scored, 12 doubles, a triple, 24 RBI, a .511 slugging percentage and .445 on-base percentage in 2016. She is a career .400 hitter.
Rowan senior infielder Shilah Snead earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® second-team honors this year, after being named to the third team last year. A health and physical education major with a 3.69 G.P.A. from Malaga, New Jersey, Snead is one of 10 finalists for the inaugural Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III National Player of the Year award. The shortstop earned NFCA All-East Region first-team honors and All-New Jersey Athletic Conference first-team honors for the fourth straight year, while being named the NJAC Player of the Year for the third straight year. Snead is hitting .479 with 66 runs, 16 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 31 RBI, 33 stolen bases, a .743 slugging percentage and .549 on-base percentage for the 40-9 Profs, who are advancing to the NCAA Division III National Championships this weekend.
Paige Knussman, a Salisbury senior infielder and a CoSIDA Academic All-America® third-team designated player in 2014, returned to the third team this season. An exercise science major with a 3.44 G.P.A. from Easton, Maryland, Knussman was named to the NFCA All-Atlantic Region first team this season, while earning All-Capital Athletic Conference first-team honors for the fourth straight year. She finished this season with a .434 batting average for the 37-6 Gulls, scoring 39 runs while driving in 51. She stroked 16 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs, with a .790 slugging percentage and .481 on-base percentage.
Other members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America®
first team include
catcher Lindsay Gurska of Worcester Polytechnic; infielders Vanessa Carrizales of Texas Tyler, Nikki Caruso of FDU-Florham and
Raven Rodriguez of Texas Tyler; outfielders Sammy Bost of Lebanon Valley, Caitlin Lake of Salisbury, Devan Puhl of Rensselaer Polytehchnic; and
designated player Nicole Snow of Texas Lutheran.
Also on the CoSIDA Academic All-America®
second team are
pitcher Amanda Lochte of Texas Lutheran; catcher Becky Notte of Messiah; infielders Alyssa Domico of Dominican (Ill.) and
Jackie Mendez of Texas Tyler;
outfielders Amanda Cook of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Laura Hall of Guliford and
Maya Lacy of Babson; and
designated player Tori Jensen of MIT.
Rounding out the CoSIDA Academic All-America®
third team are
pitchers Annah Brittingham of Salisbury and
Brittany File of Emory; catcher Mikaela Mitsch of Heidelberg; infielders Maddie Flasco of Otterbein, Alicia Marino of Manhattanville and
Kenzie Schmoll of Linfield; outfielders Ama Biney of Worcester Polytechnic, Courtney Bogan of Virginia Wesleyan and
Taylor Forte of Emory; and
designated player Laura Dierking of Aurora.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jeff Schwartz, North Dakota State University (701) 231-8332
Academic All-America ® Co-Vice-Chair for Publicity/Communications
Jeff.Schwartz@ndsu.edu
Don Stoner, Augsburg College (612) 330-1677
Academic All-America ® Coordinator of Publicity
stoner@augsburg.edu