Nine Jayhawks Named to Academic All-Big 12 Softball Team

May 8, 2009

IRVING, Texas –

Academic All-Big 12 Teams

Nine Kansas softball players were named to the 2009 Academic All-Big 12 Softball Team, the league office announced Friday.

Seniors Val Chapple, Val George, Elle Pottorf, Stevie Crisosto and Dougie McCaulley, juniors Amanda Jobe and Sarah Vertelka and sophomores Brittany Hile and Liz Kocon were among 72 Big 12 softball student-athletes named to the team.

Chapple, a secondary physics education major, was named to the first team for the third straight year and was one of four players with a 4.0 GPA.

George (psychology), Jobe (biology) and Pottorf (exercise science) were also named to the first team for achieving a 3.2 GPA or higher. It is the second first-team honor for George and Jobe, while Pottorf earns the award for the first time.

Players earning between a 3.0 and 3.19 GPA were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team, including second-time honorees Crisosto (journalism) and Vertelka (exercise science). It is the first all-academic appointment for Hile, Kocon and McCaulley, who were also selected to the second team.

The softball academic all-league squad consisted of 51 first team members combined with 21 on the second team. A complete list of all honorees is attached.

To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or in the two previous semesters and have participated in 60 percent of her team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.