WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Recent West Liberty University graduate Annie Paterson can add yet another line to her already-impressive resume as she leaves the hilltop: NCAA Division II Academic All-American®. The Salem, Ohio standout was a third-team selection at the utility/pitcher spot when the 2021-22 NCAA Division II Academic All-America Softball Team was announced on Tuesday.
    Selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the 2021-22 Academic All-America® Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their impressive accomplishments on the field and in the classroom.
    Splitting time between pitcher, first base and designated player, Paterson led Coach Herb Minch's Hilltoppers in nearly every offensive category while putting up big numbers in the pitching circle as WLU rolled to its third straight 30-win season and Mountain East Conference North Division title.
    The sweet-swinging southpaw hit a team-high .398 with 64 hits in 161 at-bats, launching 9 home runs and adding 17 doubles. She drove in a team-high 43 runs and scored 36 more while racking up a .671 slugging percentage to go along with a 1.106 OPS. Paterson posted a 7-8 pitching record along with a pair of saves, ranking among the MEC's Top 5 in Strikeouts (154) and ERA (2.53) and Top 10 in Opposing Batting Average (.227) and Innings Pitched (130.0).
    Her classroom accomplishments were just as impressive. She graduated in May with a Bachelor's Degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology after maintaining a 3.70 GPA throughout her collegiate career.
    The Hilltopper softball star is West Liberty's second NCAA Division II Academic All-American® of the 2021-22 academic year, joining 2021-22 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Academic All-American® of the Year Audrey Tingle on the illustrious honor roll.
    The West Liberty athletic department has produced at least one NCAA Division II Academic All-American® in each of the last 10 years and leads all MEC schools with a total of 23 Academic All-America® Awards since making the transition to NCAA Division II membership during the mid-1990s.
  Pos         Player                                    School                                GPA                   Yr          Academic Major
P              Liz Pautz                               Winona State                    4.00                   Sr.         Biology
P              Amanda Weyh                    Lindenwood                      4.00                   Jr.         Elementary Education
C             Gracey Brink                        Augustana                          3.95                   Jr.         Exercise Science
IF             Danielle Dennis                   Illinois-Springfield            4.00                   Sr.         Exercise Science
IF             Hannah Marsteller             Shippensburg                    3.56                   Sr.         Biology (Pre-Veterinary)
IF             Tymber Riley                       Arkansas Tech                   3.84                   Gr.        Rehabilitation Science (G)
IF             Calli Wibbenmeyer             Rockhurst                           3.94                   Gr.        Elementary Education (UG)/Education (G)
OF           Anna Alloway                      Tusculum                            3.98/4.00         Gr.        Elementary Education (UG)/Education (G)
OF           Keelah Griffth                      Pittsburg State                  4.00                   Sr.         Recreation Services, Sport & Hospitality Mgmt.
OF           Brylynn Vallejos                  San Francisco State          3.79                   Sr.         Kinesiology
P/UT       Ellie Smith                            Colorado Mesa                 3.42                   Sr.         Nursing Pos         Player                                    School                                GPA                   Yr          Academic Major
P              Harlie Duncan                      Anderson                           4.00/4.00         Gr.        Biochemistry (UG)
P              Hannah Hudson                  W.Va. Wesleyan               3.94/4.00         Gr.        Exercise Science (UG)/Athletic Training (G)
C             Ally Distler                            Colorado Mesa                 4.00                   So.        Psychology
IF             Lydia Goble                          Grand Valley State           3.50                   Sr.         Sport Management
IF             Ashlyn Lerma                       Angelo State                      3.94                   Sr.         Finance
IF             Haley McFarlane                 St. Cloud State                  3.60/4.00         Gr.        Kinesiology (UG)/Sport Management (G)
IF             Ashtyn Patterson                Francis Marion                  4.00                   Sr.         Art Education & Psychology
IF             Paxton Scheurer                 Angelo State                      3.77/4.00         Gr.        Industrial Organization Psychology
OF           Clara Heislen                        Concordia-St. Paul            3.98                   Sr.         5-12 Health & K-12 Physical Ed
OF           Paige Kortz                           Ferris State                        3.96                   Sr.                 Accountancy/Finance
OF           Ruby Salzman                      West Texas A&M              3.55                   Sr.         Healthcare Management
P/UT       Caitlyn Wells                        Arkansas Tech                   3.78                   So.        Health & Physical Education Pos         Player                                    School                                GPA                   Yr          Academic Major
P              Hannah Beatus                    Grand Valley State           3.48                   Gr.        Marketing
P              Ashley Mickschl                   Augustana                          3.73/4.00         Gr.        Education & Spanish (UG)/Education (G)
C             Madison Fry                         Mercyhurst                        4.00                   Jr.         Special Education & Early Childhood Education
IF             Kaileen Cain                         Bentley                               3.93/3.88         Gr.        MBA (G)
IF             Nicole Purtell                       Shepherd                           3.88                   Sr.         Business Administration & Sociology
IF             Madison Schaefer              Texas A&M-Commerce   3.90                   Jr.         Finance
IF             Delaney Young                    Augustana                          3.66                   Sr.         Sign Language Interpreting
OF           Savannah Moorefield        Lenoir-Rhyne                     3.90/3.92         Gr.        Exercise Science (UG)/Public Health (G)
OF           Jenna Osikowicz                  Seton Hill                            3.55/3.90         Gr.        Marketing & Human Resources (UG)/MBA (G)
OF           Savannah Wysocki              Lubbock Christian             3.94                   Sr.         Pre-Medicine
P/UT      ANNIE PATERSON              WEST LIBERTY                   3.70                   SR.        EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY