LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- In an announcement made today by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), 10 Bellevue University softball players were named 2019 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes for the 2018-19 academic year.
Those named to the prestigious list include Bruins Ashley Young, Ashlyn Teran, Brieanna Brock, Ellie Bliemeister, Emily Rochford, Emily Mendick, Grace Glotfelty, Kayla Young, Lauren Jurek, and Maricela Egan.
Over 8,000 student-athletes (8,161), a first in NFCA history, were named 2019 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes, the Association announced on Wednesday afternoon. Missouri Baptist University (NAIA) captured the top team GPA amongst college programs, while West Frankfort High School (Ill.) and Santa Gertrudis Academy (Texas) posted the top marks in the weighted and unweighted high school categories in the Easton/NFCA Top 10 Academic Team rankings for the 2018-19 school year.
Under the guidance of Kenneth Messer-Brooks, the Spartans posted a 3.79 GPA in the classroom. Last year's top NAIA program, Spring Arbor, posted another strong showing in second with a 3.73 GPA. Jim Piersol's Redbirds and Thomas De Los Santos' Lions led the way with 4.60 and 3.986 GPAs, respectively. Byron Nelson, which had owned the highest weighted GPA the last five seasons, came in at No. 2 with a 4.486 in 2018-19.
Ann Pierson's Grand Canyon University (3.76) squad is your top NCAA Division I program for the second straight year and third time in the last five. Dawn Stearns' University of Bridgeport program bested NCAA Division II with a 3.776 GPA, while Greenville University (Buddy Foster) and Johnson & Wales University (Kim Camara Harvey) shared the honors with a 3.78 GPA in NCAA Division III. College of the Sequoias (Cal JC), under the direction of Michelle Bolt, led all two-year institutions with a 3.76 GPA.
The rankings and honors recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across the Association's membership categories. NCAA Division III led the way with 1,928 student-athletes earning a 3.5 grade-point average or higher for 2018-19. NCAA Division I and Division II followed with 1,769 and 1,306 honorees. High School weighted and High School unweighted earned 1,225 and 793 distinctions. NAIA and two-year programs each amassed 570 recipients.
NCAA Division I
1. Grand Canyon – 3.760; 2. Southern Illinois - 3.723; 3. Houston - 3.719; 4. Southeast Missouri - 3.678; 5. Robert Morris - 3.659; 6. Saint Louis - 3.653; 7. SIUE - 3.651; 8. Manhattan - 3.630; 9. Murray State - 3.612; 10. Mount St. Mary's - 3.605.
NCAA Division II
1. Bridgeport - 3.776; 2. Eastern New Mexico - 3.717; 3. Rockhurst - 3.695; 4. Davenport - 3.690; 5. Auburn-Montgomery - 3.686; 6. McKendree - 3.668; 7. Gannon - 3.656; 8. Arkansas-Monticello - 3.640; 9. Adelphi - 3.633; 10. University of Sciences - 3.630.
NCAA Division III
t1. Greenville - 3.780; t1. Johnson & Wales - 3.780; 3. Wisconsin-Whitewater - 3.700; t4. Amherst - 3.680; t4. Simpson - 3.680; 6. Principia - 3.678; 7. Endicott - 3.662; 8. Stevens Tech - 3.632; 9. MIT - 3.630; 10. Kean - 3.628.
NAIA
1. Missouri Baptist - 3.790; 2. Spring Arbor - 3.730; 3. William Woods - 3.627; 4. Freed-Hardeman - 3.621; 5. Indiana Wesleyan - 3.558; 6. USCB - 3.530; 7. Central Methodist - 3.524; 8. Grand View - 3.520; 9. Columbia College - 3.506; 10. Lawrence Tech - 3.500.
Two-Year Colleges
1. College of the Sequoias - 3.760; 2. Butler CC - 3.650; 3. College of Southern Idaho - 3.628; 4. Clarendon College - 3.600; 5. Kansas City Kansas CC - 3.590; 6. North Iowa Area CC - 3.570; 7. Big Bend CC - 3.565; 8. Yavapai College - 3.537; 9. Lansing CC - 3.525; 10. Iowa Western CC - 3.510.
High School (Unweighted)
1. Santa Gertrudis Academy (Texas) - 3.986; 2. Southlake Carroll Senior (Texas) - 3.957; 3. Saint Thomas Aquinas (Kan.) - 3.948; 4. Frankfort (Mich.) - 3.898; 5. Loogootee Community (Ind.) - 3.843; 6. Silver Lake (Kan.) - 3.826; 7. Piedmont (Okla.) - 3.824; 8. Rochester Adams (Mich.) - 3.799; 9. Fauquier (Va.). - 3.795; 10. East Islip (N.Y.) - 3.791.
High School (Weighted)
1. West Frankfort (Ill.) - 4.600; 2. Byron Nelson (Texas) - 4.486; 3. Eaton (Texas) - 4.466; 4. James F. Byrnes (S.C.) - 4.426; 5. Flower Mound (Texas) - 4.302; 6. Grapevine (Texas) - 4.290; 7. Holly Hill Academy (S.C.) - 4.265; 8. Bishop Denis J. O'Connell (Va.) - 4.210; 9. River Hill (Md.) - 4.190; 10. Joliet Catholic Academy (Ill.) - 4.172.
