LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Saint Louis University softball team achieved the nation's highest grade point average among four-year softball programs during the 2024-25 academic year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced Thursday.
 
The Billikens' 3.910 GPA topped NCAA Division II leader Auburn-Montgomery (3.882), NCAA Division III leader Worcester Polytechnic (3.830) and NAIA leader Faulkner (3.897).
 
It is Saint Louis' sixth top-10 finish among NCAA Division I programs. The Billikens placed third in 2015-16; sixth in 2016-17, 2018-19 and 2023-24; and ninth in 2020-21. SLU has achieved a top-20 ranking every year since 2014-15 (except for 2019-20, when no NFCA awards were issued due to COVID-19).
 
In addition to the team accomplishment, all 17 Billikens earned Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete plaudits for 2024-25. Recognition is given to student-athletes who compile a 3.5 or higher GPA (4.0 scale) for the entire academic year. Team members were:
 
Seniors – Taylor Hochman, Kendall Johnson, Jane Kaniecki, Sydney Ross, Natalie Sullivan
Juniors – Abby Mallo, Allie Marietta, Ashley Marietta, Chloe Rhine
Sophomores – Sophia Boente, Anna Christ, Karsen Jany, Isabel Royle, Abby Ulsas
Freshmen – Addie Duttlinger, Scout Gallagher, Kate Proffitt
 
Butler (3.809) finished second on the Easton/NFCA top-10 list for NCAA Division I, followed by Omaha (3.787), DePaul (3.783), Jacksonville (3.767), Western Kentucky (3.740), Eastern Illinois (3.740), Green Bay (3.737), Southern Illinois (3.734) and Youngstown State (3.727).
 
"I am so impressed with our student-athletes and the effort they put into developing their skills and knowledge on and off the field," head coach Christy Connoyer said. "They have majors in biomedical engineering, accounting, education, economics, Spanish, communication, entrepreneurship, marketing, nursing, biology and exercise science. They push themselves day in and day out, and I am extremely proud of the work they do.
 
"We were the top team in the nation in GPA, won the A-10 championship and made an NCAA Tournament appearance," Connoyer said. "It is a testament to the work ethic of these young women that they can balance academics and athletics and succeed in both arenas.
 
"Our players support each other and hold each other to a high standard on the field and in the classroom," Connoyer said. "Despite a challenging travel schedule this past season, especially with short-notice adjustments we made, their ability to stay focused on and committed to excellence remained second to none."