HAMMOND, Ind., & WESTVILLE, Ind. – Purdue University Northwest sophomore Tessa Steffens was recently honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for her performance in both the classroom and the playing field, as the shortstop was named to the CoSIDA College Division Academic All-District team.
Steffens (Litchfield, Ill./Litchfield) earned the first CoSIDA all-district honor in PNW softball history and advances to the national ballot with a chance to be voted as a CoSIDA Academic All-American, which will be released May 22.
Steffens finished the regular season with a .314 batting average for the Pride, starting all 50 games at the shortstop position. She recorded 50 hits, eight doubles, two home runs and 29 RBI and was a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts. At shortstop, she recorded a .917 fielding percentage.
In the classroom, Steffens carries a 3.94 grade point average and is majoring in finance.
Steffens joined 11 selections from District 2 on the College Division All-District Team, which included Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference members Morghan Dieringer of St. Francis (Ill.), Emily Carstens of Olivet Nazarene, and Joey Crockett of Robert Morris Illinois.
To be eligible for the CoSIDA Academic All-American contest, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore standing, be in attendance at their institution for at least one year, carry a minimum 3.30 cumulative grade point average, and be a starter or important reserve. The teams are selected by members of CoSIDA and recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.