Five Jayhawks earn Academic All-Big 12 honors
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas softball had five Jayhawks recognized for their efforts in the classroom and earn Academic All-Big 12 honors, as announced by the league office on Thursday.
Seniors Taylor Dodson and Sophia Templin, junior Erin McGinley and sophomore Emily Bermel earned first-team recognition, while senior Taylor McElhaney collected second-team honors. McElhaney received her third academic award from the Big 12, while Dodson, Templin, McGinley and Bermel earned their second.
KU has had at least five Academic All-Big 12 selections in each of the last seven seasons under head coach Megan Smith.
A native of Grove, Oklahoma, Dodson is a community health major who has started 42 games and appeared in 46 during her senior season. She is batting .242 with 30 hits, including two doubles and six home runs, 13 walks and 18 RBIs. Dodson has registered a .403 slugging percentage and .309 on-base percentage.
Templin, a product of De Soto, Kansas, is a journalism major who has made 12 relief appearances in the circle in 2017 and owns a 1-0 record. Templin has thrown 18 and one-thirds innings with 11 strikeouts and a 5.35 ERA.
A business marketing major, McGinley has started every game for KU in centerfield in 2017. She leads the squad with a .340 batting average, while recording a team-best 54 hits, including nine doubles and five home runs. She has stolen a team-high 19 bases during her junior season.
A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Bermel started 25 games in the outfield or as the designated player. The journalism major has posted a .328 clip, the second-best batting average on the team. Bermel has also registered 20 hits, including a triple, 12 runs scored and four RBIs.
McElhaney, from of Talala, Oklahoma, is a community health major and has started all 49 games at shortstop during her senior campaign. She is hitting .218 on the year with 22 hits, including a double and a home run, and 12 RBIs.
First-team members consist of those student-athletes who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA while the second-team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of their 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.
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.
