Santana Named to 2013 Capital One Academic All-District Team
5/3/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MACON, Ga. – With a week before graduation, Mercer senior softball player Sarah Santana received a proper honor for her contributions both in the classroom and on the diamond as she was named a 2013 First Team Capital One Academic All-District IV selection.
"We are certainly proud to have Sarah selected to this team," head coach James DeFeo said. "She is a model Mercer student-athlete and I cannot underplay how deserving she is of this honor. Her hard work in the classroom directly relates to her success on the field and we could not be more proud to have her represent Mercer on this team."
The 2013 Capital One Academic All‐District Softball Teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, (CoSIDA) and recognize the nation's top student‐athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
The senior from Valdosta, Ga. is the second Mercer student-athlete to be named to prestigious Academic All-District Team and the first Bears' nominee to be selected since Holly Oglesbee back in 2010. As one of 11 players named to the District IV First Team, Santana will now be listed on the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, with voting to take place later this month.
She is one of just two Atlantic Sun players to be named to the list with North Florida's Kaylie Wallace also picking up First Team honors. District IV is comprised of universities from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and South Carolina.
Santana maintains a 3.91 GPA in accounting at Mercer and has been a four-year starter on the Bears roster. This season Santana set career highs by batting .286 with 36 hits, including a team-best 12 doubles and 34 RBI. She is also one of the toughest players to retire in the country as she currently ranks 25th in on base percentage (.528), and 12th in walks (.85 per game).
The Academic all-District teams include student-athletes that are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the first year of the expanded Academic All-America program as CoSIDA moves from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I) and doubles the number of scholar-athletes honored. The teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.
