Two Nebraska Wesleyan University softball players have been honored as CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 7 selections. The teams were announced Thursday (May 6) and the NWU honorees were led by junior pitcher Alysia Wittmaack who earned First-Team All-District honors.
With her selection to the Academic All-District first team, Wittmaack advances to the national ballot for ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America. Wittmaack was joined on the team by one Second-Team Academic All-District 7 honoree, sophomore outfielder Dani Bryant.
A native of Lincoln, Neb., Wittmaack carries a 3.91 cumulative grade-point average in accounting. One of the most decorated pitchers in NWU softball history, Wittmaack already holds school records for career wins (39) and career strikeouts (445) after just three seasons. She has had an amazing junior season going 18-4 overall with 13 complete games, four shutouts and 134 strikeouts. She threw a no-hitter against Midland Lutheran and helped NWU to a second place finish in the GPAC standings.
A graduate of Lincoln Southwest H.S., Bryant has had a great sophomore season as the starting center fielder and lead-off batter. Bryant is in the top five in the nation in stolen bases with 43 steals. She set the new NWU season record and now has tied the career record after only two seasons. She also is batting .388 and leads the team with 54 hits, which is tied for fourth on the NWU single season charts.
Student-athletes must meet four criteria to earn ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District honors: 1) must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better, 2) must have at least two terms of attendance at the institution, 3) must be at least a sophomore in athletic eligibility, 4) must be a starter or key reserve in their respective sport.
The All-District selection is determined by voting of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). District VII is comprised of NCAA Division II and Division III and NAIA institutions from the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
