2012 Capital One Academic All-District ® softball teams

DURANGO, Colo. — Fort Lewis College first baseman Stephanie Janes was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 7 ® first team for NCAA Division II, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced today.

Janes, a 5-foot-4 senior first baseman from Xavier College Prep in Phoenix, graduated summa cum laude from Fort Lewis last Saturday with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration-Finance. She maintained a 3.84 grade point average during her four years in Durango. She becomes the first Skyhawk softball player to earn Capital One Academic All-District accolades.

“She sets a tremendous example for future Skyhawk softball players in how to be a true student-athlete, and how school is the most important part of the college experience,” said second-year FLC head coach Zeiter, who won the very same award (and Academic All-America as well) during her own collegiate career at Adams State.

Last month, she became the first FLC softball player and fourth Skyhawk student-athlete overall to earn Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Academic Player of the Year honors. Prior FLC recipients included Nicole Schwab (volleyball, 2007), Zane Wells (soccer, 2009), and Matt Morris (men's basketball, 2010-11).

Janes also earned all-conference honors for the first time in her career when she was named to the All-RMAC team last month. She is a three-time RMAC All-Academic selection, having been named to the first team in 2012 and the Honor Roll in 2010 and 2011. In early April, she was chosen as one of the three recipients of the Dr. Troy Bledsoe Award as the top female senior student-athlete at Fort Lewis. She is also a two-time recipient of the D2 Athletic Directors Association/WeatherPORT Academic Achievement Award and joined the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi honor society this spring.

Primarily a pitcher earlier in her career, Janes became FLC's regular starting first baseman in 2012 and has enjoyed her finest year ever at the plate. She's currently batting .416 with 57 hits, 10 homers, 42 runs batted in, and seven doubles.

“Stephanie has been a top offensive threat in the RMAC all year long,” said Zeiter. “Her batting has really stepped up a level, and she has developed into a true power hitter.

She is FLC's career leader in saves (four) and ranks among career leaders in pitching appearances (third, 76), strikeouts (fourth, 244), victories (sixth, 16), innings pitched (seventh, 310.1), games started at pitcher (seventh, 44), put-outs (eighth, 302), home runs (12th, 12), and RBI (12th, 63). As a freshman, she tossed fifth no-hitter in FLC history in game one against New Mexico Highlands on April 26, 2009. She also shares school single-game records for most home runs (2, twice) and most times hit by pitch (2, vs. Colorado Mines, game one, April 9, 2011).

The 2012 Capital One Academic All-District softball teams are selected by sports information directors in their respective districts. These teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Capital One became the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA's Academic All-America teams programs in 2011.

The Academic All-District teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the first year of the expanded Academic All-America program as CoSIDA moves from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I) and doubles the number of scholar-athletes honored. The teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools. The Capital One Division II and III Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2011-12 DII and DIII Academic All-America teams program.

First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America ballot, where first-, second-, and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

To qualify, candidates must maintain a 3.30 grade point average or higher, have completed two or more semesters at their respective institutions, be a starter or key reserve, and be a sophomore standing both academically and athletically.

Fort Lewis earned the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Division II Central Regionals and will face top-seeded Minnesota State at 12:30 p.m. (MDT) tomorrow in the first round of the national playoffs. The host Mavericks are currently ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II.

The tournament is a double-elimination event, meaning the Skyhawks will play a second game at either 10 a.m. (MDT) Saturday (winners' bracket) or 12:30 p.m. (MDT) Saturday (losers' bracket).

The upper half of the Central Region bracket plays at The Diamond at Gage Towers in Mankato, Minn., Friday through Sunday. Teams include No. 1 Minnesota State (35-7), No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth (37-20), No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul (30-21), and No. 8 Fort Lewis (30-24).

The lower half of the Central Region bracket plays at Augustana College's Bowden Field in Sioux Falls, S.D., Friday through Sunday. Teams include No. 2 Augustana (45-9), No. 3 Winona State (Minn.) (42-9), No. 6 Colorado Christian (31-25), and No. 7 Colorado Mesa (26-22).