McKendree, UIndy, SBU Collect GLVC Softball Major Awards

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INDIANAPOLIS – McKendree University sophomore shortstop Lauren Harris, University of Indianapolis senior pitcher Kenzee Smith, Southwest Baptist University freshman outfielder Angelina Micone, and Greyhounds head coach Melissa Frost have earned major postseason awards for the 2024 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Softball season, the league office announced on Wednesday.
 
Harris claimed Player of the Year, Smith took home Pitcher of the Year, Micone secured Freshman of the Year, and Frost was dubbed Coach of the Year by her peers. In total, 43 student-athletes claimed All-Conference honors, while 14 were chosen as GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship honorees for the sport and Upper Iowa University was named the team sportsmanship award winner.
 
The All-Conference awards are nominated and voted on by league coaches, who, per GLVC Bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their own players.

Player of the Year: Lauren Harris, Sophomore, Shortstop, McKendree

• Earns second-straight Player of the Year award and third overall for McKendree.
• Ranked second in GLVC-only games for batting average (.466) and hits (41), third in RBIs (29), and fifth in on-base percentage (.489) and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.239).
  • Added 18 runs scored, six homers, five doubles, and 10 stolen bases.
• Paced league overall in batting average (.523), on-base percentage (.551), slugging percentage (.942), on-base plus slugging percentage (1.493), and hits (90), along with placing second in RBIs (62) and home runs (16).
  • Also contributed 47 runs scored, 18 doubles, three triples, and 23 steals.
• Leads Division II in batting average and is tied for second in total hits.
• Started all 53 games for McKendree.
• Named GLVC Player of the Week on Apr. 15.
• Earns second consecutive selection to All-GLVC First Team as one of two unanimous honorees.

 
Pitcher of the Year: Kenzee Smith, Senior, Indianapolis

• Wins second-straight Pitcher of the Year honor and sixth overall for UIndy.
• Led league in GLVC-only games for earned run average (.14), strikeouts (105), home runs allowed (0) and wins (16), while also tying for the lead in saves (3) in 96.2 innings pitched.
• Paced league overall in earned run average (.23), opposing batting average (.150), strikeouts (219), wins (29), home runs allowed (0), and saves (5) in 186.1 innings.
• Ranks first in D-II in ERA and victories.
• Appeared in 36 games for the Greyhounds, starting 26.
• Named GLVC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 26, Mar. 4, Mar. 18, Apr. 8, Apr. 15, Apr. 22, and Apr. 29.
• Earns fourth-straight selection to All-GLVC First Team, joining Harris as the lone unanimous honorees.

 
Freshman of the Year: Angelina Micone, Outfielder, Southwest Baptist

• Earns first-ever major award for SBU in the sport.
• Led league in GLVC-only games for hits (43) and batting average (.478), while ranking fourth in on-base percentage (.510) and runs scored (24).
  • Added eight RBIs, six doubles, and five stolen bases.
• Finished second in the Conference in overall batting average (.432), fifth in on-base percentage (.468), and sixth in hits (64).
  • Accumulated 14 RBIs, seven doubles, one triple, and eight steals in Conference play, as well.
• Set SBU single-season batting average record.
• Appeared in 45 games for the Bearcats, starting 43.
• Earns first selection to All-GLVC First Team.

Coach of the Year: Melissa Frost, Indianapolis

• Secures ninth Coach of the Year honor for Indianapolis – eight by Frost and one by Sue Willey in 1989.
• Managed the Greyhounds to an impressive 50-3 overall record – the first team in D-II to reach 50 wins this season – and 25-1 Conference mark, claiming the GLVC Regular Season title and No. 1 seed in the GLVC Championship.
• Led UIndy to No. 1 ranking in the NFCA poll.
• In addition to guiding Smith to her major award and All-GLVC First Team selection, she mentored four more players to first-team distinctions, as well as one to the Second Team and three others to the Third Team.
   

UIndy led all league programs with five first-team choices, including Smith’s unanimous selection. Drury University followed with four first-team nods, while McKendree landed two on the list, including Harris as a unanimous honoree. The last four spots on the First Team were filled by a single representative from Lewis University, Missouri S&T, Southwest Baptist, and Truman State University.
 
The league also recognized Upper Iowa as its GLVC Softball James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award team recipient, as well as 14 student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school’s two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced in May.
 
A complete list of the 2024 All-GLVC teams and postseason honorees can be found below.
 
GLVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lauren Harris, So., SS, McKendree
GLVC PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Kenzee Smith, Sr., P, Indianapolis
GLVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Angelina Micone, OF, Southwest Baptist
GLVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Melissa Frost, Indianapolis
 

FIRST TEAM* Sydney Anderson, Jr., 1B, S&T Jocelyn Calvin, Jr., 2B, UINDY Lauren Harris, So., SS, MCK # Emily O’Connor, Gr., 3B, UINDY Rylee Kolb, Sr., OF, DU Angelina Micone, Fr., OF, SBU Megan Nichols, Jr., OF, UINDY Lexy Rees, Gr., C, UINDY Sophia Luetticke, So., DP, DU Kenzee Smith, Sr., P, UINDY # Delaney Garden, Jr., P, LEWIS Ellie Quaethem, Sr., P, MCK Cassie Smith, So., UT-NP, TSU Lauren Beier, Sr., UT-NP, DU AJ Agers, Jr., UT-P, DU   # Unanimous selection *Extra Member due to tie

SECOND TEAM Olivia Stansbury, Sr., 1B, MCK Margo Frossard, Jr., 2B, SBU Emily Corona, Jr., SS, MU Ella Brinkley, Jr., 3B, UIS Sabrina Olmo, Sr., OF, WJC Emily Wood, Jr., OF, TSU Isabella Wilson, Jr., OF, UIS Gabi Nilles, Sr., C, LEWIS Isabella Garcia, Jr., DP, MU Allie Wondrasek, So., P, LEWIS Jayden Casebolt, Jr., P, UINDY Ashley Borowitz, So., P, UMSL Adi Rumler, Fr., UT-NP, UIS Bryn Wooldridge, Sr., UT-P, S&T

THIRD TEAM Shelby Cook, So., 1B, UINDY Payton Wuske, Sr., 2B, LEWIS Irene Travis, 5th, SS, UMSL Jalyn Powell, Sr., 3B, LEWIS Megan Russell, Jr., OF, UMSL Braxton Downs, Gr., OF, UINDY Ari Charles, Sr., OF, UIU Trista Grobe, So., C, S&T Dominique Proctor, Sr., DP, UINDY Kaley Adzick, So., P, DU Bailee Nixon, Sr., P, DU Chayse Ramey, Sr., P, MU Emily Berry, Fr., UT-NP, RU Katie Schaake, 5th, UT-P, UMSL

 
GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Kaley Adzick, DU
Sophie Margelot, UIS
Kaitlyn Brown, UINDY
Grace Erickson, LEWIS
Reagan Smith, MU
Jill Kuhl, MCK
Gretchen Roth, S&T
Maddie Snemis, UMSL
Ryleigh Jones, QU
Kerstyn Finch, RU
Paige Leithead, SBU
Nina Fenasci, TSU
Addy Alber, UIU
Kenzie Stahl, WJC

GLVC JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
Upper Iowa