ROLLA, Mo. — The University of North Georgia softball team led the nation with three selections to the 2016 Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-America Softball Team. Nighthawk standouts Stephanie Hartness, Meredith Heyer, and Courtney Poole were all named to the First Team. UNG was the only program in the country to land more than two players on the first and second team.
Poole was honored as the Ron Lenz Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive year after posting a 53-4 record for UNG breaking the all-time NCAA wins record for a single season. Poole sported the third-lowest earned run average in Division II at 0.76 and struck out an eye-popping 445 batters this year. 2016 marks the fourth time a North Georgia pitcher has won the honor, the most in the history of the award. North Georgia's Sarah Phillips was tabbed National Pitcher of the Year in 2010 and Jessica Coan repeated the honor for UNG in 2011.
Hartness, along with Poole, snagged First Team All-America honors for the second time this season after receiving the same recognition from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association last wekk. The junior from Niceville, Florida led the Nighthawks at the plate in her first season in Dahlonega with a .469 batting average, collecting 19 doubles, nine home runs, and 52 runs batted in. Hartness was the only hitter in Division II with at least 150 at bats to have only struck out two times or less.
Heyer ended her North Georgia career with a bang. She has received her first All-Conference, All-Region and now All-America honor all in her spectacular senior season. The Marietta native hit a .415 clip on the year with 15 doubles, three triples, and seven home runs with 49 RBI, all dispite missing 10 games this year. Heyer added 12 stolen bases with her .701 slugging percentage.
With the three selections this season, North Georgia is now tied with Indianapolis for most the most All-America selections (13) since the program was started 10 year ago. The All-America program is selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and is in its first year of new sponsorship with the D2CCA.
