BOSTON, Mass. – Simmons Softball tailed a 3.433 team grade point average (GPA) during the 2010-2011 season to place 16th out of 111 Division III teams in the 2011 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Academic team rankings announced last week.

The NFCA Academic Awards program honors both collegiate and high school teams for their submitted GPAs for the 2010-11 academic year. This is the third straight ranking for Simmons under head coach Anne Hennigan.

In addition, eight members of the team were awarded 2011 NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete. The award is given to any player who achieved a 3.50 grade point average (GPA) or higher during the 2010-11 academic year.

Katherine Breslin (Westford, Mass.), Courtney Collier (Bolton, Mass.), Amanda Gould (Fremont, N.H.), Samantha Hodgkins (Putney, Vt.), Samantha Leitzio (Windham, N.H.), Stephanie Murray (Groveland, Mass.), Emily Nalband (Litchfield, Conn.), and Annie Thompson (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) each received this honor.


The Sharks open their 2012 season against Albertus Magnus on March 23, 2012.