Panther Softball players receive NFCA academic honors

IOWA FALLS – Panther softball continues to receive academic honors this season.  In addition to being named an NJCAA All-Academic Team for the fifth year in a row, five softball players have received the Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete Award from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Congratulations to the student-athletes who received this recognition and contributed to the team GPA.

The recipients are Lauren Abram of Eudora, KS; Elienai Arroyo of Caguas, Puerto Rico; Kailey Becker of Ankeny, IA; Kaysee Dale of Pleasant Hill, IA; and Gintare Paskocimaite of Radviliskis, Lithuania. To be eligible to receive the Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete award, student-athletes must achieve a 3.5 or better GPA. 

"Academics are incredibly important to our program and I'm extremely proud of the work our team puts in. They know how to perform on the field just as well as they do in the classroom," says head coach Nate Forsyth.

The softball team travels and plays a significant amount during the semester, so they have to find ways to prioritize school amid practice, class, and a social life. One way that Panther softball and the rest of the athletic programs prioritize academics is through athletic study tables.  During these four hours each week, the student-athletes are able to focus on their school work.

The effort has paid off for the softball team.  In addition to the NJCAA All-Academic honors and Easton/NFCA All-America recognition, twelve players were named ICCAC Academic All-Region athletes, nine of whom were First Team Academic All-Region.