BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Thirteen members of the 2022 Bridgewater State University softball team have been named Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athletes for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Graduate students Alexandra Ruprecht (Kingston, Mass.) and Madison Synan (Quincy, Mass.); seniors Emma Healy (Plymouth, Mass.), Kelley Reichert (Milford, Mass.) and Megan Sharon (East Longmeadow, Mass.); juniors Madison Dana (Lynn, Mass.) and Olivia Silva (Somerset, Mass.); sophomores Morgan Cournoyer (Burrillville, R.I.), Janet Jolly (Raynham, Mass.), Ava Novakoski (Auburn, Mass.) and Molly Thibaudeau (Lincoln, R.I.); and freshmen Amelia Blake (Raynham, Mass.) and McKayla Cusack (West Haven, Conn.) each earned the honor for the Bears.
The Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete program recognizes the academic prowess of softball student-athletes across the Association’s membership categories. Over 7,500 student-athletes (7,527) received the honor. NCAA Division III led the way with 2,227 student-athletes earning a 3.5 grade-point average or higher for 2021-22. NCAA Division I followed with 2,155 and NCAA Division II with 1,646. Junior Colleges and NAIA came in with 756 and 736 student-athletes respectively, with USCAA member Penn State Brandywine earning seven scholar-athlete nods.
The BSU softball team was also recognized as one of 116 Division III programs to post a team GPA of 3.00 or higher. The Bears' team GPA for the 2021-2022 academic year was an impressive 3.48 which ranked 69th (tie) in all of Division III.