Four Trojans earn academic all-district honors
MOUNT OLIVE – The University of Mount Olive softball team featured four players on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, as junior Kylie Emanuele, senior Lauren King, junior Emma Mooney and sophomore Alyssa Smothers were honored.
The 2023 Academic All-District softball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
With this honor, all four individuals are eligible for consideration on the CSC Academic All-American Team that will be announced on Tuesday, June 6.
A two-time All-American, Emanuele, from Corona, Calif., received her third straight nod to the D2CCA All-Region Team while also being named All-Conference Carolinas First Team for a third time after being featured at third base and shortstop this year. She finished fifth in the conference with a .738 slugging percentage and placed among the top 10 in doubles, home runs, and RBI per game. Emanuele led the team with 13 multi-RBI performances and paced the program with 13 doubles this season. She boasts a 3.97 grade point average while majoring in elementary education.
King, from Clear Brook, Va., made 17 appearances with 13 starts while registering a 5-5 record in the circle over 59.2 innings pitched. She ranked third in the Conference Carolinas with a 2.35 ERA and held opponents to a .220 batting average this season. King finished seventh in the league with a 1.39 WHIP while ranking second on the team in wins, innings, and strikeouts. She held a 3.98 GPA and recently graduated with a degree in justice studies.
A native of Waxhaw, Mooney was featured in 32 games with 17 starts this season. She was effective on the base paths with 10 stolen bases while also scoring 13 runs. Mooney was named to the spring 2023 academic all-conference team while being highlighted on the presidential honor roll. She maintains a 3.96 cumulative GPA while pursuing a degree in psychology.
Smothers, from Goldsboro, started all 43 games this year while totaling 40 hits with a .345 batting average. She registered 11 multi-hit games while ranking second on the team with 11 doubles. Smothers also posted five multi-RBI performances and finished third on the team in runs scored. She holds a 3.63 GPA while majoring in biomedical science.
To qualify for the academic all-district honors, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and in athletic eligibility, maintain a cumulative 3.50 GPA or higher and have played at least 50 percent of the team’s games. Additionally, each institution is capped at five nominees for softball.
— From University of Mount Olive Athletics
