Duncan Named Google Cloud Division III Women’s Softball Academic All-America® of the Year

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Makenzie Duncan was named the 2018 Google Cloud Division III Women’s Softball Academic All-America® of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Of the 92 NCAA Division III softball student-athletes who were named Google Cloud Academic All-District®, 33 student-athletes garnered Google Cloud Academic All-America® honors in 2018. Eleven student-athletes were named to each the First Team, Second Team, and Third Team. Of the 11 First Team honorees, six had 4.00 grade point averages. Duncan was one of the 11 student-athletes to earn a spot on the First Team and was named the top Academic All-America® of the Year.

Duncan, a La Salle, Michigan native who recently graduated from Saint Mary's as a co-valedictorian of the class of 2018 with a perfect 4.00 grade point average, was selected from among her peers as the Academic All-America® of the Year after a stellar season and career for the Belles softball team. She is the program's all-time leader in triples in a season, triples in a career, RBI in a season, and RBI in a career. Additionally, she is third in program history in doubles, fourth in single-season doubles, fifth in career hits and career home runs, and sixth in single-season hits. She was named Second Team All-MIAA in 2017, First Team All-MIAA in 2018, Second Team All-Region in the Central Region in 2018, and was named to the 2018 NCAA Division III Softball Championship Notre Dame, IN Regional All-Tournament Team for her efforts in the Belles' first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

Academically, she earned co-valedictorian honors by maintaining a 4.00 grade point average while earning a major in integrative biology and a minor in chemistry. Her research during her time at Saint Mary's has led to her work being published in both LibreText and Frontiers of Microbiology Extreme Microbiology. She was inducted to both the TriBeta Biological Honor Society and the Kappa Gamma Pi Honor Society. Duncan was the recipient of both the Department of Athletics Mary Ellen Smith Academic and Athletic Achievement Award as well as the Department of Biology Sister M. Rosaleen Dunleavy Award, which is given to a student for excelling in the pre-health field. She begins her studies in the physician assistant program at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois this month.

Duncan becomes the second softball player in program history to garner CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors and is the first student-athlete in Saint Mary's history to earn First Team distinction. She is the first Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) softball player to earn Academic Academic All-America® of the Year accolades. Duncan becomes the 14th overall Academic Academic All-America® of the Year for any sport in MIAA history.

To be eligible for Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 (on 4.00 scale), have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

CoSIDA began the distinguished Academic All-America program in 1952, and since then, has honored thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America scholar-athlete honors. Starting with the 1987-88 seasons, CoSIDA began selecting an Academic All-America of the Year in each sport and an overall Academic All-America® of the Year by division.

For the full 2018 Google Cloud Division III Women’s Softball Academic All-America® press release from CoSIDA, click here.