On Tuesday, August 6, 2024 the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced the 2023-24 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors for NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, Junior College, and other additional four-year institutions. Overall, the organization recognized 8,054 collegiate student-athletes, as individuals must attain a 3.5 grade-point average or better. In NCAA Division II there were a total of 1,510 athletes who received the accolade.
For the first time in program history, the Black Hills State University softball team saw individuals receive the honor through the NFCA as the Yellow Jackets placed seven on the list. Those BHSU student-athletes are Taylor Dowden (Biology), Audrey Fouras (Business Administration), Gianna Haley (Exercise Science/Strategic Leadership), Taylor Klein (Elementary Education), Kayla Lee (Exercise Science), Ashlynn Pauwels (Physical Education), and Tyler Whitlock (Business Administration/Professional Accountancy).
“I’m very proud of these young women being named NFCA Scholar-Athletes,” stated head coach Ashlyn Englehorn. “Student-athlete workloads are immense and their ability to juggle being high quality athletes and exceptional students is exactly what we look for in our program. They are a great representation of who we want to be in the classroom, on the field, and in the community.”
Among conferences members, Black Hills State was one of just two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) institutions to have student-athletes receive the honors, joining Colorado School of Mines who had 17. Additionally, the Yellow Jackets were one of four NCAA Division II schools in the state of South Dakota to have athletes honored as they joined Augustana, Northern State, and Sioux Falls.