CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Eleven softball student-athletes, seven of which were all-conference selections in 2010, have been named to the America East Softball All-Academic team, as was announced today. These student athletes, who excel both academically as well as athletically, represent the best of the America East Conference.

The team consists of University at Albany’s Nicole Kothe (Middletown, N.Y.) and Gina Mason (Sacramento, Calif.), Binghamton University’s Stephanie DeLuca (Yonkers, N.Y.) and Deannie Plemon (Irvine, Calif.), Boston University’s Emily Roesch (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.), University of Hartford’s Amanda Dilworth (Jackson, N.J.) and Sara Messinger (New Egypt, N.J.), University of Maine’s Terren Hall (Bucksport, Maine), UMBC’s Emily Thompson (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) and Stony Brook University’s Crista Cerrone (Floral Park, Fla.) and Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.).

Hall, Mason, Plemon, Struzenberg and Thompson were also first-team all-conference choices, while Dilworth and Roesch were second-team selections. Kothe and Messinger are repeat All-Academic honorees, while Struzenberg has been recognized in each of the past three seasons.

The All-Academic squads are a product of the June 2005 Athletics Directors meeting where faculty representatives and athletics directors from each of the conference’s nine member institutions decided to honor the league’s top student-athletes, who excel equally in the classroom as they do on the playing field.

For the second straight year, America East has chosen the All-Academic teams using CoSIDA’s Academic All-America program as a model. Student-athletes worthy of consideration are nominated by member sports information directors and voted on by a committee of SIDs, academic advisers and faculty representatives from all nine member institutions.

All-Academic squads for team sports are based on the number of athletes that participate in a contest at one time (e.g., 10 in the lineup for softball) but can be more if there is a tie in voting. To be nominated for the distinction, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s games or competitions. In the classroom, student-athletes must have a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. Freshmen are not eligible for consideration.

2010 America East Softball All-Academic Team
Name                                Cl.     School       Hometown                      GPA    Major
Nicole Kothe (1)                  Sr.    Albany         Middletown, N.Y.               3.68    Psychology
Gina Mason                        Jr.     Albany         Sacramento, Calif.            3.31    Journalism
Stephanie DeLuca               Jr.     Binghamton  Yonkers, N.Y.                   3.65     Biology
Deannie Plemon                 Jr.     Binghamton   Irvine, Calif.                    3.38     Business
Emily Roesch                     So.    Boston U.      Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 3.40     Communications
*Amanda Dilworth              Sr.    Hartford       Jackson, N.J.                    3.54     Human Services
Sara Messinger (1)             Sr.    Hartford       New Egypt, N.J.                3.87     Insurance/Financial
*Terren Hall                       Jr.    Maine          Bucksport, Maine              3.36     Kinesiology/Physical Education
*Emily Thompson               Sr.    UMBC           Niagara Falls, N.Y.           3.65     Interdisciplinary Studies
Crista Cerrone                    Sr.    Stony Brook  Floral Park, N.Y.              3.88     Biology
*Alyssa Struzenberg (2)      Sr.    Stony Brook  Cooper City, Fla.             3.85     Business/Economics


*Unanimous Selection
(1) 2009 All-Academic Selection
(2) 2008 & 2009 All-Academic Selection