Conference USA Softball All-Academic Team Announced
5/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 7, 2009
IRVING, Texas - Six seniors, four juniors and two sophomores make up the 2009 Conference USA All-Academic Softball Team, as selected by the softball sports information directors. All nine teams were represented with East Carolina placing three members on the team and two representatives from Tulsa. There were three repeat selections from last season's squad and two from the 2007 squad. The all-academic team for softball consists of student-athletes who have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve for their team.
C-USA second team catcher Kristin Pilgrim of Southern Miss is a forensic science major. Pilgrim carries a 3.50 GPA and is a four-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member. The Metairie, La., native ranks in the top 10 in the league in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, hits, RBI, and home runs.
Tulsa seniors Stephanie Chomicki and Kailey Yarmer garnered academic recognition after leading their team to the 2009 C-USA Softball regular season title. Chomicki holds a 3.80 GPA in elementary education, while starting all games for the Golden Hurricane. She earned C-USA Academic Medal and Commissioner's Honor Roll accolades and is a repeat selection to the all-academic team for softball. Yarmer has a 3.28 GPA in chemical engineering and was also named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. The All-Conference first-team selection carries a .966 fielding percentage and has a .515 slugging percentage.
All-C-USA first team selection Jessica Johnson of East Carolina makes her second appearance on the All-Academic Team in just three years. The senior first-baseman started all 54 games this season while tallying a team high eight home runs. Johnson was eight for eight in stolen bases and also recorded 11 doubles for the Pirates. The Laguna Niguel, Calif., native owns a 3.74 GPA as a merchandising major.
Junior teammates Cristen Aona and Kaui Tom were also named to the 2009 All-Academic team for their efforts on the field and in the classroom. Aona makes her second consecutive appearance on the squad as a health education and promotion major. The Pirates' starting 3B owns a 3.83 GPA and recorded 31 RBI during regular season play. Tom receives her first All-Academic honor as a health education and promotion major with a perfect 4.0 GPA. The Kailua, Hawai'i, native is a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal and C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll selection while also leading a Pirate defense that has a .977 fielding percentage.
Third-seeded Houston placed C-USA second teamer Katie Bush on the All-Academic team for the third-consecutive year. Bush is a four-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member and a three-time C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal recipient. She leads the Cougars with a .424 average and a perfect fielding percentage and owns a 3.70 GPA as a kinesiology major.
Marshall's Katie Murphree was named the 2009 C-USA Co-Newcomer of the Year award, as voted on by the league's head coaches. The junior transfer leads the Herd with a team 2.37 ERA, 92 strikeouts and a 13-7 record on the year. The Tallahassee, Fla., native is a biology major at Marshall with a 3.74 GPA.
Abby McClain of UCF receives her first All-Academic honor this year. The Knights' sophomore utility player has totaled 16 doubles in 2009 and leads UCF in total bases with 94. McClain was named to the All-C-USA second team earlier this week and was named UCF's Bright House Student-Athlete of the Week on two different occasions during the season. The Waterloo, Iowa, native is a biology major with a 3.75 GPA.
Stacie Townsend represents UTEP on the All-Academic team for the second year in a row. Townsend has a perfect 4.0 GPA as a business major. The junior hurler has 16 victories in 2009, breaking the previous record of 12 she owned. Townsend has already recorded 229 strikeouts, doubling that of her freshman and sophomore seasons combined. The three-time C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medalist completed her degree in just three years and has already been accepted into the graduate program at UTEP where she plans to pursue her master's degree in international finance.
UAB placed senior catcher Andrea Rogers on the squad. The physical education major owns a 3.42 GPA and was named to the 2009 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll for the third-straight year. Rogers has tallied 56 put outs and eight assists on the year.
Sophomore pitcher Janelle Valle of Memphis also receives her first C-USA All-Academic team honor as biology major with a minor in criminal justice. The Lake Elsinore, Calif., native carries a 3.97 GPA while leading the Tigers with a 3.04 ERA. Valle was a 2008 NFCA Scholar Athlete and a two-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and Academic Medal recipient.
The 2009 C-USA Softball Championship gets underway today with five games at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex in El Paso, Texas. Semifinals will be played Friday, May 8, while the championship game will take place at 12:30 p.m. MDT on Saturday, May 9 and will be televised LIVE on CBS College Sports.
2009 C-USA SOFTBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAMName School Class GPA Major*Cristen Aona East Carolina Jr. 3.83 Health Education and PromotionJessica Johnson East Carolina Sr. 3.74 MerchandisingKaui Tom East Carolina Jr. 4.00 Health Education and Promotion*Katie Bush Houston Sr. 3.70 Kinesiology / Exercise ScienceKatie Murphree Marshall Jr. 3.74 BiologyJanelle Valle Memphis So. 3.97 Biology (Minor: Criminal Justice)Kristin Pilgrim Southern Miss Sr. 3.50 Forensic Science*Stephanie Chomicki Tulsa Sr. 3.80 Elementary EducationKailey Yarmer Tulsa Sr. 3.28 Chemical EngineeringAndrea Rogers UAB Sr. 3.42 Physical EducationAbby McClain UCF So. 3.75 Biology*Stacie Townsend UTEP Jr. 4.00 Business
*Repeat Selection