Louisville, Ky. – A combined 13 Western Carolina softball student-athletes were named 2024-25 Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athletes by the organization this week. Additionally, the Catamounts collectively as a team were one of four Southern Conference schools to be recognized by the Association.
WCU posted a 3.581 team grade point average (GPA) last academic year. The Catamounts ranked second among all Southern Conference schools, led by UNCG, and followed by Wofford and Mercer in completing the quartet of SoCon programs on the list.
The rankings and honors recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across the Association's membership categories. NCAA Division I saw 2,544 student-athletes earn a 3.5 grade-point average or higher for 2024-25. A total of 9,199 collegiate student-athletes captured Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors for 2024-25, according to a release by the organization.
Five of Western Carolina's softball student-athletes were selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team following the 2025 campaign to pace the squad's NFCA honorees. Rising seniors Taylor Waitley (Biology/Forensic Science) and Rylee Butler (Communication Science Disorders) were joined by a trio of rising juniors in Lily Bell (Business Admin & Law/Marketing), Sydney Dirks (Psychology), and Becka Wonsick (Integrated Health Sciences/Entrepreneurship) as WCU's representatives.
Eight Diamond Catamounts were named to the Spring 2025 Academic All-SoCon team as Bell, Dirks, Waitley, and Wonsick were joined by graduated seniors Natalie Henry (Marketing & Management), Makenzie Martin (Integrated Health Sciences), and Mattie Mentel (Natural Resource Conservation Management), along with rising senior Tate Stewman (Administration and Law/Marketing). WCU landed 20 student-athletes on the SoCon Academic Honor Roll, which, in addition to the above, included freshman AG Batson, Amanda Fulton, and Courtney Marks, along with sophomore Riley Pennington.
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