Hilltoppers’ Donzella is NCAA D2 Academic All-American

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty University senior catcher Kat Donzella is the latest Hilltopper to earn NCAA Division II Academic All-America® honors for the 2020-21 academic year. The Wheeling, W.Va. native was a first-team selection when the 2021 Academic All-America® Softball Team was announced on Wednesday afternoon.

Selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the 2021 Academic All-America® Teams recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their impressive accomplishments on the field and in the classroom.

Donzella put together one of the best seasons in West Liberty softball history in leading WLU to its second straight Mountain East Conference title and NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament berth.

The MEC Player of the Year was an NFCA All-American and All-Region selection after putting up some astronomical numbers. Donzella finished the season ranked among the Top 5 nationally in total hits, total bases, and doubles after leading the MEC in hits, runs, doubles, extra-base hits, total bases, batting average, on-base average, and slugging percentage.

Her academic accomplishments were even more impressive. Off the field, Donzella was the banner carrier at Commencement for the College of Liberal Arts after graduating with the highest GPA in the College. Now pursuing a graduate degree in Criminology on the hilltop, Donzella has maintained a perfect 4.00 GPA.

Donzella is West Liberty’s third NCAA Division II Academic All-American® of the 2020-21 academic year, joining 2021 NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Academic All-American® of the Year Dalton Bolon and NCAA Division II Football Academic All-American® Clay McDonald.

The Hilltopper athletic department has produced at least one Academic All-American® in each of the last nine years and earned a total of 19 Academic All-America Awards since transitioning to NCAA Division II membership during the mid-1990s.

SOFTBALL

CoSIDA 2021 Academic All-America Team

NCAA Division II

FIRST TEAM

Pos. Name School GPA Yr. Major

P Laken Chambers North Georgia 4.00 Sr. Middle Grades Education

P Hallie Waters Indianapolis 3.99 Sr. Biology/Psychology

C KAT DONZELLA WEST LIBERTY 3.72/4.00 GR. CRIMINOLOGY (G)

IF Kaitlyn Beers Indiana (Pa.) 3.80/3.66 Gr. Criminology

IF Jessi Case Regis 3.88 Jr. Business Administration

IF Bri Garber West Chester 3.88 Sr. Accounting/Finance

IF Logan Hill Valdosta State 3.97 Sr. Interdisciplinary Studies

IF Hannah Marsteller Shippensburg 3.67 Jr. Biology (Pre-Veterinary)

OF Kendall Cornick* Augustana 3.94 Sr. Biology & Psychology

OF Morgan Hill Valdosta State 3.94 So. Health Sciences

OF Ruby Salzman West Texas A&M 3.55 So. Health Sciences

DP Alison Nowak Winona State 3.96 Sr. Physical Education/Health Promotion

*-CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year

SECOND TEAM

Pos. Name School GPA Yr. Major

P Jordan Kleman Winona State 3.84 Sr. Secondary Math Education

P Ashley Mickschl Augustana 3.73 Sr. Education/Spanish

P Alyssa Muller Adelphi 3.98 Sr. Psychology

C Bailey Byers Malone 3.55 Sr. Exercise Science

IF Talon LaClair Lenoir-Rhyne 4.00 Sr. Mathematics

IF Nicole Purtell Shepherd 3.90 Jr. Business Administration/Sociology

IF Kiley Robb Valdosta State 3.91 Sr. Health Sciences

IF Sarah Staudle Colorado Mesa 3.92/3.87 Gr. Sport Management

OF Anna Alloway Tusculum 3.98 Sr. Elementary Education

OF Sydney Goertzen Catawba 4.00 Sr. Biology

OF Taylor Shingler Maryville 3.94 Jr. Sports Business Management

DP Ellie Smith Colorado Mesa 3.55 Jr. Exercise Science

THIRD TEAM

Pos.NameSchoolYr.GPAMajor

P Abbey Busby Palm Beach Atlantic 3.96 Sr. Exercise Science

C KaraLynne Levi Carson-Newman 3.91/4.00 Gr. Education (UG)/Elementary Education (G)

IF Molly Cobb Auburn-Montgomery 4.00 So. Elementary Education

IF Nikoma Holmen Grand Valley State 3.41 Sr. Finance

IF Clara Larson Colorado School of Mines 3.67/3.55 Gr. Computer Science (G)

OF Taylor Checkley Barry 4.00 Sr. Pre-Professional Biology (Pre-Med)

OF Brooke Henning Grand Valley State 4.00 Sr. Biomedical Science

OF Kaira Ramon Bridgeport 3.61 Sr. Computer Engineering

DP Kaity Stocker Gannon 3.84 Sr. Criminal Justice