Cambridge, MA - University of Hartford softball team members Amanda Sais and Sara Messinger were named to the 2009 America East Softball All-Academic Team, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.
Sais, a senior who graduated earlier this month with a degree in Psychology, shared the honor of achieving the highest grade-point average on the squad with Stony Brook University's Alyssa Struzenberg (3.88). She was recently named to the ESPN The Magazine All-District First Team as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), and in 2008, was an All-District Second Team selection. Additionally, Sais is a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete honoree and a three-time America East Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.5+ GPA) selection.
Messinger, a junior, holds a 3.87 GPA and is majoring in Insurance and Finance. She is a two-time NFCA Scholar-Athlete honoree and has been selected to the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.5+ GPA) for two consecutive years.
On the field, Sais, who was recently selected to the America East All-Conference Second Team, led the Hawks offensively in the 2009 season with a .315 batting average, 39 hits and 23 runs scored. The right fielder was one of three players to start and play in every game this season. With a career batting average of .310, Sais has been one of Hartford's most consistent offensive players over the past four seasons. The four-year starter has etched her name throughout the Hartford record book. She ranks atop the Hawks' all-time career lists in hits (158), runs (91), games played (170) and at-bats (510), and is fourth on the all-time list with 34 stolen bases.
Messinger sported career-best numbers at the plate in her 2009 campaign. She closed out the season batting .261 with 15 runs, 24 hits and six doubles. The third baseman started and played in 35 games for the Hawks in 2009, and enters her final season with career totals of 29 runs and 47 hits.
The All-Academic squads are a product of the June 2005 Athletics Director meetings, where faculty representatives and athletics directors from each of the conference's nine member institutions decided to honor the league's top student-athletes, whom excel equally in the classroom as they do on the playing field.
For the last two academic years, the All-Academic Team has been selected based on a formula. Starting this year, America East has adopted a more subjective approach based on feedback from various coaches' groups and administrators and approval by the athletic directors. The process now resembles CoSIDA's Academic All-America program. Student-athletes worthy of consideration are nominated by member sports information directors and voted on by committee of SIDs, academic advisors and faculty representatives from all nine member institutions.
To be nominated for the distinction, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50 percent of their team's games or competitions. In the classroom, student-athletes must have a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. Freshmen are not eligible for consideration.
Hartford finished the year with an overall record of 19-22, including a 9-9 record overall in the America East. The Hawks' five seniors (Lindsey Anrico, Kristen Cericola, Kayla Demarest, Catherine Granato and Sais) graduate with 80 wins over four years (80-93; 0.462), becoming the all-time winningest class in the program's Division I history.
