ST. LOUIS – Five Saint Louis University softball student-athletes have been named to the College Sports Communicators 2025 Academic All-District team.
 
Representing the Billikens are pitcher Taylor Hochman, third baseman Kendall Johnson, first baseman Jane Kaniecki, shortstop Chloe Rhine and left fielder Natalie Sullivan. Kaniecki and Sullivan earned Academic All-District recognition for a third time, while Hochman and Rhine are two-time honorees.
 
Hochman and Sullivan were chosen for inclusion on the Academic All-America ballot.
 
To be eligible for softball Academic All-District and All-America honors, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, have at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average, and participate in at least 90 percent or start at least 66 percent of her team's games.
 
Hochman, a second-team All-Conference, third-team All-Region, Atlantic 10 Championship All-Tournament and A-10 All-Academic selection, graduated with a bachelor's degree in education (secondary mathematics) and a 3.79 GPA. She led the A-10 with career highs in victories (16) and shutouts (seven) and posted a 2.63 ERA. Hochman's seven shutouts ranked among the top 10 in the nation and were just one shy of tying SLU's single-season record.

Johnson graduated with a Master of Accounting degree and a 3.81 GPA. A late-season surge elevated her batting average to a career-best .244, and she batted .300 in A-10 games. Johnson, who was named to the A-10 Championship All-Tournament team, collected 13 RBIs, five doubles, a triple, seven sacrifice bunts and three sacrifice flies.
 
Kaniecki, who graduated in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in psychology (3.76 GPA), registered a 3.94 graduate GPA in public health and social work. She turned in a .284 batting average, ranked second on the team with 34 RBIs, and added a .385 on-base percentage, eight doubles, a triple and a home run. Kaniecki also excelled defensively, posting a .989 fielding percentage.
 
Rhine graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication and a 3.96 GPA. She was tabbed the A-10's Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league and ranking among the nation's top 50 with a career-high 121 assists. Rhine also had a career-best .956 fielding percentage. At the plate, she recorded a .421 on-base percentage, a team-high 38 walks, three home runs, eight doubles and 17 RBIs.
 
Sullivan, a second-team All-Conference, A-10 Championship All-Tournament and A-10 All-Academic choice, graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing and a 3.96 GPA. She led the Billikens in on-base percentage (.475), triples (five), walks (38), runs (53) and stolen bases (25), was second in batting average (.358), slugging percentage (.528), hits (63) and doubles (11), and added three home runs and 29 RBIs. Sullivan produced a career high in each of those categories except walks and home runs.