LOUISVILLE, KEN. – The University of Sioux Falls Softball Team was named an Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Scholar-Athlete Team and 11 team members earned All-America Scholar-Athlete distinction, according to an announcement by Easton/NFCA.
The 11 student-athletes from USF were among a record number of 8,161 total softball scholar-athletes across seven membership divisions, who earned the recognition after accumulating a 3.5 grade point average or better. USF was one of 87 Division II teams to receive the scholar team recognition with a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) or better. With its 3.520 team GPA, USF ranked in a tie for 31
st in NCAA DII.
The outstanding work on the field and in the classroom is pleasing to second year USF Head Coach
Shannon Pivovar, whose team was 24-30 and 10
th in the NSIC with a 14-17 record a year ago.
"Our student-athletes place a great emphasis on success in both the classroom and on the field, and I could not be prouder of the dedication our kids put forth last year," Pivovar, whose team is also active in community service and most recently aided those impacted by the tornadoes that struck Sioux Falls this fall. "They set a goal at the beginning of the year and each student-athlete on our roster made a significant effort in the classroom to reach and surpass that goal. I am so happy they have received this recognition!"
USF's All-America Scholar-Athletes included:
Emily Cheloha of Omaha, Neb.;
Kerrigan Hoshaw of Apple Valley, Minn.;
Emily Hove of Omaha, Neb.;
Sarah Keen of Rapid City, S.D.;
Courtney Mathews of Lee's Summit, Mo.;
Frankie Mickelson of Rochester, Minn.;
Lindsey Mossman of Belleville, Ill.;
Sydney Nieveen of Hallam, Neb.;
Anna Peters of Big Lake, Minn.;
Kylan Straight of Logan, Iowa; and
Cassie Van Beek of Rock Valley, Iowa.
Established in 1983, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) is the professional growth organization for fastpitch softball coaches from all competitive levels of play. Growing from 40 members in 1983 to over 5,700 today, the NFCA boasts members from all 50 states and 11 international countries – Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and Sweden.
