2024 NJCAA ALL-REGION 11 SOFTBALL TEAM
Ottumwa, IA – The Indian Hills Softball team earned 10 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Region 11 honors, announced by the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) on Wednesday. The Warriors earned five first-team selections and five second-team honors.
The Warriors capped the season with a 35-24 overall record and a spot in the NJCAA Region 11 Championship game after posting an 11-5 league mark on the year. The Warriors posted a 30-win season for the 36th consecutive year.
"I am so incredibly proud of our team this year and all of their hard work this season," stated head coach Tarah Rayos. "We excelled on and off the field and their hard work has paid off. We have had several freshman step up this year and the sophomores step up with big numbers and leadership. All the awards earned were well deserved and noticed across the Region. We can't wait to see our freshman back next season and see the sophomores excel at the next level. This team has been special."
Eva Fulk: One of the top performers throughout the Region this year, Fulk earns her second-career NJCAA All-Region 11 First-Team honor after being recognized as a freshman in 2023. Fulk upped her efforts during her sophomore campaign, leading the Warriors in average (.438), hits (85), triples (5), runs (73), and stolen bases (26).
Fulk finished her career tied for fourth all-time in school history with 60 career stolen bases. Fulk is one of just five players in school history to record 100 career hits, 100 career runs, and 60 stolen bases.
The sophomore was also named a two-time ICCAC DI Softball Athlete of the Week in 2024 and the NJCAA National Athlete of the Week on March 27.
Along with Fulk's first-team All-Region selection, the sophomore was named the NJCAA Region 11 Offensive Player of the Year.
Fulk will continue her academic and athletic career at Rockhurst University next year.
Read More: Fulk Named Offensive Player of the Year
Julia Kwakernaak: A NJCAA and NFCA All-American as a freshman, Kwakernaak was named the NJCAA First-Team All-Region 11 Designated Player for the second consecutive year after powering the Warrior offense in 2024. The sophomore led the Warriors with 16 home runs while batting .388 on the year.
Kwakernaak concluded her Indian Hills career with 26 home runs, 87 RBI, and a .416 career batting average.
Kwakernaak was recognized as the ICCAC DI Softball Athlete of the Week for the week of April 22-28.
Kwakernaak will continue her academic and athletic career at Louisiana State University – Alexandria next year.
Peyton Raley: A standout freshman campaign in centerfield led to NJCAA All-Region 11 First-Team honors for Raley. The rookie ranked third on the team with a .397 batting average after collecting 75 hits on the season, including 10 extra base knocks. Raley added 11 stolen bases and 51 runs scored while driving in 31 runs.
In the outfield, Raley provided multiple highlight-reel plays while making 68 putouts and adding a pair of outfield assists.
Raley was recognized as the ICCAC DI Softball Athlete of the Week for the week of April 15-21.
Sara Reid: A six-time ICCAC DI Softball Pitcher of the Week in 2024, Reid earns her first-career NJCAA All-Region 11 selection as a member of this year's first-team. Reid led the Warrior pitching staff in a majority of the statistical categories, including wins (16), earned run average (2.80), innings (152.2), and WHIP (1.38).
The sophomore, who posted 120 strikeouts on the year, earned two postseason victories for the Warriors while making 34 appearances on the year.
Reid will continue her academic and athletic career at Upper Iowa University next year.
Claire Tipton: After a standout sophomore campaign, Tipton was named to the NJCAA All-Region 11 First-Team for the second consecutive year. Tipton led the Warriors with 56 RBI on the year and posted career-highs with a .372 batting average and 54 hits. Tipton posted a season-long hitting streak of 16 games on the year.
For her career at Indian Hills, Tipton finished with 105 career hits, 93 RBI and 98 runs scored while posting a lifetime .358 batting average for the Warriors.
Tipton was recognized as the ICCAC DI Softball Athlete of the Week for the week of April 1-7.
Tipton will continue her academic and athletic career at Rockhurst University next year.
Tatum Aragon: Aragon garnered NJCAA All-Region 11 Second-Team Designated Player honors to earn a postseason honor for the second consecutive year. The outfielder tied for the third-most doubles in the nation this year with 26 while posting a .375 average on the year. Aragon added a career-high five RBI and 49 RBI while collecting 66 hits.
Aragon capped a stellar Indian Hills career for the Warriors, collecting 130 career hits in 111 games played while posting a lifetime .367 batting average. Aragon's 39 career doubles are tied for eighth-most in school history.
Aragon will continue her academic and athletic career at Drake University next year.
Jenna Lemley: Lemley was named to the NJCAA All-Region 11 Second-Team as a catcher for the second consecutive season for the Warriors. Lemley posted career-highs as a sophomore with a .429 batting average, 42 hits, five home runs, and 24 runs scored. Lemley added 26 RBI and five doubles for the Warriors.
Over the span of 80 career games for the Warriors, Lemley posted a .405 batting average while collecting 19 career extra base hits. Lemley was named the ICCAC DI Softball Player of the Week for the week of April 8-14.
Lemley will continue her academic and athletic career at Midland University next year.
Ashlynn Sheets: Sheets was named to the NJCAA All-Region 11 Second-Team as a pitcher after a breakout freshman campaign for the Warriors. Sheets collected 13 victories in the circle, including a win in the postseason. The southpaw tallied a team-high 124 strikeouts, including a season-high 12 against No. 18 nationally ranked Butler Community College.
Sheets, a two-time ICCAC DI Softball Pitcher of the Week, tossed a team-high 13 complete games while working 141.2 innings in the circle this year.
Hannah Simpson: For the second consecutive season, Simpson garnered NJCAA All-Region 11 Second-Team honors after posting a .322 batting average on the year. Simpson tallied a career-high 48 hits this year while collecting 16 extra base hits, including seven home runs.
Simpson, who will continue her academic and athletic career at Western Illinois University next year, concluded her Indian Hills career with a .337 batting average to go along with 15 home runs and 69 RBI.
Ava Smith: Smith made an immediate impact on the Warrior program in her freshman campaign to earn NJCAA All-Region 11 Second-Team honors in the outfield. The sophomore posted a .368 batting average while connecting on 12 home runs for the Warriors. 19 of Smith's 43 hits on the year went for extra bases while driving in 46 runners.
The freshman ranked second on the team in slugging percentage (.744) as well as home runs.
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