Softball maintains academic excellence in 2021

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

5/19/2021 8:36:00 AM | Softball

ST. CLOUD, MINN. - The St. Cloud State University softball team is well known across the Central Region for its success both on and off the field of competition. In the spring of 2021 that was once again the case. The Huskies recorded yet another top-6 finish in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) regular season standings and finished fourth in the conference tournament last weekend. Additionally, the team maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.44 during the 2020-21 academic year and saw all 21 players maintain an individual GPA of 3.0 during the softball season.

"What an incredible spring semester for this team," said head coach Paula U'Ren. "They have shown their drive, focus and determination in a year of unpredictability, and they put together a semester of excellence on and off the field."

In a year filled with ups and downs, the Huskies academic success during the season is nothing short of tremendous. The team compiled a spring GPA of 3.64 for a cumulative GPA of 3.44 during the entire academic year. Additionally, 19 of 21 St. Cloud State softball student-athletes posted a 3.0 or better GPA in 2020-21, and all 21 Huskies maintained a 3.0+ GPA during the spring semester.

"[Graduate assistant] coach Morgan Emmans did a great job working with the team with academic monitoring and guidance," U'Ren commented. Emmans, a former standout catcher for St. Cloud State, returned to the program as a GA after graduating in 2019 and graduated with a Masters degree this past spring. "Our program is always very thankful to Holly Schreiner, Shawn Kukuk and his staff at the Greenhouse and the faculty for their work with our athletes throughout the year."

Three Huskies posted perfect GPA's of 4.0 during the spring semester, including first years Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) and Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia) and senior captain Maya Keating (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton-Warrensville). Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family), Megan Conrads (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South), Sophie Culhane (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove), Kaitlyn Istavanovich (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes), Lydia Krueger (Appleton, Wis. / Appleton North), Madie Pich (Spring Lake, Minn. / Blaine), Gabrielle Nelson (Fargo, N.D. / West Fargo), Emma Murphy (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater), Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove Village), Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) and Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) all posted GPAs of 3.5+ in the spring semester, while Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield), Cassie Francesconi (Schomberg, Ontario / Emily Carr Secondary), Lauren Kirchberg (Columbus, Wis. / Columbus), Sydney LaPoint (Green Bay, Wis. / Bay Port), Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie), Alexandra Pinkowski (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) and Tenley Quesnell (Boise, Idaho / Timberline) maintained 3.0+ GPAs.

Keating was the lone Husky to maintain a 4.0 GPA for the entire year, while eight softball players maintained a 3.5+ GPA during the entire 2020-21 academic calendar. Additionally, 10 student-athletes posted a GPA of 3.0 to 3.49.