Softball

THREE WARRIORS NAMED NJCAA ALL-AMERICANS

THREE WARRIORS NAMED NJCAA ALL-AMERICANS
Posted: Jun 06, 2023

Ottumwa, IA – The Indian Hills Softball team continued to garner national honors as three members of the program collected National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Softball All-American accolades, announced Tuesday afternoon.

The Warriors were represented on the NJCAA DI Softball All-American team by first-team selection Destiny Lewis (Indianola, IA/Indianola), second-team honoree Julia Kwakernaak (The Hague, Netherlands), and third-team selection Madie Anderson (Mt. Pleasant, IA/Winfield Mt. Union). 2023 marks the eighth time in program history that at least three Warriors have been represented on the NJCAA All-American team and first since 2019.

After earning second-team NJCAA All-America honors as a freshman, Lewis was named to the first-team after a record-breaking sophomore season. The sophomore now owns a lengthy list of accolades, that include:

  • 2023 NFCA DI NJCAA Player of the Year
  • 2x ICCAC Player of the Year
  • 2x NFCA First-Team All-American
  • 2x NJCAA All-American
  • 2x ICCAC First-Team All-Region
  • 2x NFCA Midwest All-Region

READ MORE: LEWIS NAMED NFCA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kwakernaak becomes the third utility player in program history to earn All-American honors with her second-team selection as a freshman. The offensive standout was also named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second-Team All-American squad after leading the Warriors with a .455 batting average. Kwakernaak also totaled 21 extra base hits, including 10 home runs and 33 RBI on the year.

Kwakernaak was one of just 14 freshman named across the three All-America teams comprised of 48 total student-athletes from around the nation.

Anderson, the two-time Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Pitcher of the Year, garnered All-American honors after becoming the first 20-game winner for the Warriors in seven seasons. Anderson was also tapped as an NFCA Second-Team All-American. Anderson's second All-American honor adds on to an impressive career for the right-handed hurler:

  • 2x ICCAC Pitcher of the Year
  • NFCA Second-Team All-American
  • NJCAA Third-Team All-American
  • 8x ICCAC Pitcher of the Week

The Warriors have now collected seven All-American honors this year – three NJCAA honors and four NFCA awards, the most in school history, topping the 2004 squad's six selections.

READ MORE: FOUR NAMED NFCA ALL-AMERICANS

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