LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Three members of the 2017 Mount Ida College softball team have been named as National Fast Pitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar Athletes.
Senior Nicole Handzel (Palmer, Mass.), freshman Alisa Benson (Middletown, R.I.) and sophomore Kaylee Ferris (Waterbury, Vt.) each achieved a 3.5 or greater grade point average to earn selection to the prestigious team.
Handzel, who graduated as the all-time strikeout leader in Mount Ida College program history, finished her career with a senior season in which she won 11 games, posted a 2.81 earned run average, and struck out 132 batters. She tossed 22 complete games, including three shutouts.
A standout student in the Interior Architecture Design major, Handzel was also named Mount Ida Scholar Athlete of the Year and became the first Mustang athlete to earn a College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) Academic All-District selection.
Benson, a sport management major and member of the women's basketball team as well, was third on the team with a .284 batting average. SHe appeared in 34 games as an outfielder and scored ten runs, while stealing 16 bases, second on the club.
Ferris completed her sophomore season as a veterinary technology major. The utility player saw action in two games and scored a run in a GNAC victory over Anna Maria College on April 23rd.
Follow Mount Ida Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
Founded in 1899, Mount Ida College is a small, private college in Newton, Massachusetts, providing career-focused programs built upon a strong foundation in the social sciences, humanities and the arts, all developed and implemented to prepare our approximately 1,450 students for success. The College is comprised of the School of Applied Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Design and the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, awarding associate, bachelor and master's degrees. www.mountida.edu