DAHLONEGA, GA – The Peach Belt Conference
released the 2009 softball All-Academic Team from the conference
office last week and North Georgia’s Kaelin Farrington and
Jessica Skeels earned first-team honors, while Kasey Knight, Trisha
Snider, and Kim Stercay were all named second team.
The team is part of a new season-long program recognizing the
outstanding accomplishments of PBC student-athletes in the
classroom as well as on the field.
Kaelin Farrington graduated in August of 2008 with a
Bachelor’s degree in Middle Grades Education. She is
currently working on her Master’s in Physical Education and
has an overall GPA of 3.90. The senior infielder has played
in 46 of the Saints’ 49 games. She has been involved
with four double plays this season and currently leads the team and
the Peach Belt in fielding percentage with no errors in 287
opportunities with 245 putouts and 42 assists. Farrington has
an on base percentage of .339 with four doubles, 15 walks, five
sacrifice bunts and eight runs batted in.
Jessica Skeels hit .344 with seven doubles, one triple and a
homerun during an injury shortened the 2009 season. The
junior outfielder went errorless on the season in 26 games with 15
putouts and one assist. She had an on base percentage of .403
with 12 runs batted in and only four strikeouts. Skeels is a
middle grades education major with a 3.96 GPA.
Kasey Knight is hitting .338 with twelve doubles, two triples and
twelve runs batted in during the 2009 season. She had a trio of
three-hit games and scored three runs in three different games. She
has put down 11 sacrifice bunts, and has a .908 fielding percentage
at shortstop, playing and starting in all 49 games for the Saints.
The sophomore has an on base percentage of .350 and had just 12
strikeouts on the season. Knight is an exercise science major
with a 3.27 GPA.
Trisha Snider has posted a mark of 11-2 on the 2009 season.
The junior pitcher has 18 total appearances on the year including
nine complete games and a 2.87 earned run average. In 92.2
innings of work, Snider only allowed 94 hits while holding
opponents to a .253 batting average. She also struck out 47
batters while only giving up 18 walks. Snider is a criminal
justice major with a focus on forensics and a 3.27 GPA.
Kim Stercay is hitting .295 with five doubles, two triples, and
three homeruns this season. The sophomore infielder has
played in 45 of the Saints’ 49 games and posted a fielding
percentage of .956. She also recorded an on base percentage
of .380 with 20 runs batted in, 12 walks and six sacrifice
bunts. Stercay is an art marketing major with a GPA of
3.28.
To be eligible for the All-Academic team, a student athlete must
participate in at least half of their team’s events, achieve
a 3.2 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale, and have
completed at least one full academic year at their current
institution. The Peach Belt Conference Sports Information Directors
nominated and voted on the selected teams.
| First Team | |||||
| Player | School | Yr. | Hometown | GPA | Major (Minor) |
| Tamela Bell | Francis Marion | Sr. | Covington, Ga. | 3.83 | Elementary Education |
| Lakyn Bendle | Francis Marion | Sr. | Amsterdam, Ohio | 3.89 | Psychology |
| Mandy Chandler | GCSU | Sr. | Covington, Ga. | 3.52 | Marketing |
| Kaelin Farrington | North Georgia | Sr. | Watkinsville, Ga. | 3.90 | Middle Grades Education/Physcial Education |
| Megan Lakes | USC Aiken | Sr. | Columbia, S.C. | 3.80 | Elementary Education |
| Sarah Moore | Columbus St. | Sr. | Smiths, Ala. | 3.72 | Biology |
| Jessica Skeels | North Georgia | Jr. | Lawrenceville, Ga. | 3.96 | Middle Grades Education |
| Jessica Strong | Armstrong Atlantic St. | Sr. | Fountain Valley, Calif. | 3.97 | Mathematics |
| Lindsey Swanson | GCSU | Sr. | Kennesaw, Ga. | 3.97 | Psychology |
| Michaela Wolf | Francis Marion | Jr. | Littleton, Colo. | 3.57 | Mass Communications |
| Second Team | |||||
| Kat Beauvais | Francis Marion | Jr. | Manassas, Va. | 3.52 | Management |
| Jessica Birchmeier | Francis Marion | Jr. | Port Richey, Fla. | 3.57 | Accounting |
| Carrie Jones | Columbus St. | So. | Midland, Ga. | 3.92 | Exercise Science |
| Kasey Knight | North Georgia | So. | Watkinsville, Ga. | 3.27 | Exercise Science |
| Kori Pickowitz | GCSU | Sr. | Keller, Texas | 3.72 | Health Education |
| Trisha Snider | North Georgia | Jr. | Highland, Md. | 3.27 | Criminal Justice |
| Kim Stercay | North Georgia | So. | Lilburn, Ga. | 3.28 | Art Marketing |
| Daisy Stewart | Lander | Jr. | Roswell, Ga. | 3.38 | Nursing |
| Amanda Wheeless | Columbus St. | So. | Woodstock, Ga. | 3.80 | Exercise Science |
| Chelsea Wilson | GCSU | Sr. | Jacksonville, Fla. | 3.65 | Mass Communications/Marketing |