Four MIAA student-athletes are eligible for the Capital One NCAA Division III Academic All-America® softball team after receiving Academic All-District® recognition from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Trine pitcher Bree Fuller, Adrian catcher Morgan Brandt, Alma outfielder Marie Zill and Hope designated player Julie Sobieski received Academic All-District® honors on Thursday.
Fuller (pictured above left), a senior from Hubbardston (Fulton HS), carries a 3.74 grade point average as an exercise science major at Trine. Fuller is a two-time Academic All-America selection, having been named to the third team in 2013 and the second team last year. A three-time All-MIAA first team selection and the MIAA's Most Valuable Pitcher last year, Fuller is 15-1 this season with a 2.06 earned run average.
Brandt (pictured above left center), a junior from Eastlake, Ohio (North HS), holds a 3.95 GPA while majoring in exercise science at Adrian. She hit .431 this season for the Bulldogs with three home runs, 26 RBI and nine stolen bases.
Zill (pictured above right center), a senior from Chelsea (Chelsea HS), has a 3.55 GPA as an education major at Alma. She was sixth in the MIAA in batting this season with a .489 batting average and second in the league in stolen bases with 10 in conference play, earning first team All-MIAA honors.
Sobieski (pictured above right), a senior from St. Charles, Ill. (St. Charles East HS), is a public accounting major at Hope with a 3.93 GPA. A second team All-MIAA selection this year, she is hitting .407 this season with eight home runs and 37 RBI. She ranked among the MIAA leaders in both home runs (6) and RBI (22) in conference play.
The Academic All-District® teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the fourth year of the expanded Academic All-America® program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division Academic All-America ® Team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.
The Capital One Division II and III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2014-15 DII and DIII Academic All-America® teams program.
First-team Academic All-District ® honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
