May 09, 2008

Three Eagles recognized on Academic All-District team

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team had three players selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District V team in a vote by the district's sports information directors.

Senior leftfielder Kathy Wood (Lynnville, Indiana) earned second-team honors, while senior third baseman/pitcher Kristin Eickholt (Van Wert, Ohio) and junior rightfielder Lacey Ligmanowski (Homer Glen, Illinois) earned third-team honors.

To be eligible for Academic All-District and All-America, the nominee must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials and at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale. The student athlete must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and completed at least one full academic year at the institution.

District V includes NCAA II, NCAA III, and NAIA institutions from Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Manitoba and Ontario.

Kathy Wood

Wood, who earned second-team honors in 2007 and third-team honors in 2006, has a 3.96 GPA in exercise science. She finished the season with a .373 batting average to go along with a career-high six doubles, a GLVC-best seven triples, and 14 RBIs. Wood also was second in the GLVC with 16 sacrifice bunts and led the GLVC in conference-only games with a .440 batting average.

A three-time All-GLVC selection, including a first-team All-Conference selection in 2008, Wood also earned first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Great Lakes Region honors as well as second-team Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region honors. She also was USI's Screaming Eagles Pride Award winner in 2008.

Kristin Eickholt

Eickholt, who is earning Academic All-District honors for the first time, has a 3.59 GPA in exercise science. She finished her career at USI as the school's all-time leader with 48 career doubles and was second all-time at USI in both RBIs (127) and home runs (20).

The three-time All-GLVC selection finished the 2008 campaign with a .325 batting average, 10 doubles, seven home runs, and 28 RBIs en route to earning second-team All-GLVC honors. Eickholt also earned second-team Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region honors in 2008 and was USI's Integra Bank Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

Lacey Ligmanowski

Like Eickholt, Ligmanowski also finds herself on the Academic All-District V team for the first time after accumulating a 3.92 GPA in occupational therapy. Ligmanowski, who earned All-GLVC honors as a sophomore in 2007, hit .257 with five doubles, three home runs, and 16 RBIs this past season. She tied a 30-year old school record by hitting three home runs in a single game.

The Screaming Eagles finished the 2008 season with a 31-23 overall mark, 14-10 in the GLVC. The 31 wins marked the fourth consecutive season and the 10th time in 12 years that USI has reached the 30-win plateau.

Honors continue to roll in for Wood, Loete

Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information