LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In a Monday announcement by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, the Academy of Art softball program earned its first Easton/NFCA Team GPA recognition while five Urban Knights were selected as Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes. Graduate student utility Nina Vallejos, sophomore infielder Haley Randall, senior catcher/infielder Lauryn Henderson, freshman utility Elle Edeker, and freshman pitcher Julia Jordan were among the student-athletes featured for their work both on and off the softball field.

"We are so proud of these five student-athletes and their academic excellence throughout the school year," said Head Coach Nikki Gentile. "Their drive in the classroom is unmatched and we appreciate the NFCA recognizing their academic accomplishments."

In order to make the Easton/NFCA Team GPA list, a program must have collectively delivered a 3.00 cumulative team grade point average or higher for the year. The academic success of 16 softball student-athletes was factored into a 3.03 GPA with eight of those individuals receiving Academic All-PacWest Team selections. To read more about what Academy of Art achieved this season, click here. There were a total of 97 teams honored by the NFCA for their academic success.

To qualify for Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors, the student-athlete must have compiled a minimum GPA of 3.50 for the 2021-22 academic year. Among the total of 1,646 student-athletes who represented NCAA Division II and 57 total honorees from six Pacific West Conference institutions.

A mid-year addition to the Academy of Art roster, Vallejos sported the highest academic mark on the team with a 3.90 GPA in the School of Fashion. The native of West Sacramento, Calif. would start her ART U career productively, bunting for a single in her first at-bat then driving in the Urban Knights' first two runs of the season on a single against Montana State Billings on Feb. 4. By the year's end, she would start 25 of her 37 games played, notching totals of five runs scored, four runs batted in, one double, and three stolen bases in 76 at-bats.

Randall came into the year as a selection to the Preseason All-PacWest Team while well on her way to a 3.58 GPA in the School of Art Education. The native of Walnut Creek, Calif. was the only Urban Knight to play in and start all 53 games, concluding the season with a .298 batting average as well as 23 runs scored, nine doubles, one triple, two home runs, six runs batted in, and three stolen bases in 161 at-bats. Logging several during her 12-game hitting streak that spanned Mar. 16 – Apr. 2, she offered a team-best 13 multi-hit games in total. A fixture at the top of the ART U lineup, she delivered the squad's second-highest on-base (.358) and slugging (.404) percentages while pacing Academy of Art with 72 assists defensively as the starting shortstop. 

Capping an impressive collegiate career in 2022, Henderson maintained a 3.63 GPA in the School of Game Development while leading the team offensively and establishing new records along the way. One of both Academy of Art and the Pacific West Conference's nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year, the native of Gilbert, Ariz. finished on the All-PacWest Second Team after breaking ART U career records in home runs (25) and walks (82) in addition to tying the program record in career doubles (42). Making 51 starts across her 52 games played, Henderson hit .333 (ninth in PacWest) with 23 runs batted in, 26 runs scored (ninth in PacWest), 14 doubles (fourth in PacWest), one triple, six home runs (third in PacWest), 20 walks (fourth in PacWest), and three stolen bases in 141 at-bats. Like Randall, she was selected to the Preseason All-PacWest Team, later made the Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team, and was named PacWest Player of the Week on Apr. 25 after a memorable Senior Day performance on Apr. 24. Prior to her graduation, Henderson also became the first Urban Knight to make five appearances in Academy of Art's Spring Show.

The team's starter at second base throughout 2022, Edeker spent her first year as an Urban Knight working toward a 3.68 GPA in the School of Architecture, widely regarded as one of the toughest majors at Academy of Art. The native of Montrose, Colo. started 47 of her 52 games played, finishing with a .210 batting average that came alongside 12 runs scored, four runs batted in, three doubles, one triple, and two stolen bases in 124 at-bats. Logging multiple hits on six occasions, she registered a season-high two RBIs against Cal Poly Humboldt on Mar. 13. Edeker also ranked third on the team with 53 assists defensively.

In her collegiate debut season, Jordan put together a 3.66 GPA in the School of Motion Pictures & Television while ending as one of three pitchers with eight or more starts in the circle. The native of Portland, Ore. made a total of 14 appearances with eight starts, one complete game, and 42 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched. The second week of the season saw her log a season-high 6.0 innings pitched versus Central Washington on Feb. 11. Five days later on Feb. 16, she would post her highest strikeout total on the year with seven punchouts against Sonoma State.

This quintet's recognition collectively marks the fourth year Academy of Art student-athletes have been awarded NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors. A quartet earned distinction in 2016 and prior to that duos came in 2015 as well as 2011.