Bettencourt, Boland Named to NE-10 Softball All-Academic Team

SOUTH EASTON, Mass. – Junior Karissa Bettencourt (Norton, MA) and senior Laurie Boland (Worcester, MA) of the Southern New Hampshire University softball team were both named to the First Team of the Northeast-10 Conference softball All-Academic Team released recently.  For both Bettencourt and Boland, it marks their second straight selection to the squad.

Bettencourt is a public relations major with a 3.48 grade point average.  Last season she was named to the NE-10 All-Academic Second Team.  In 2008 Bettencourt ranks second on the squad with a .322 batting average with a home run and eight runs batted in.  In 2007 she was a Second Team All-Northeast-10 selection, and she has led the Penmen in batting average in each of her first two seasons.

Boland, a Marketing major with a 3.64 GPA, is on the All-Academic First Team for the second straight year.  Overall, it marks her fifth Northeast-10 All-Academic Team selection as the two-sport athlete has also been named to the women’s soccer squad three times.  A co-captain for the softball team, Boland is batting .303 this season with nine runs batted in.

To be eligible for selection to the academic teams, a student-athlete must have met and/or exceeded the following minimum requirements: 1) participated in at least half of the team’s competitions and be either a starter or significant contributor; 2) achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale); and 3) completed at least one academic year at his/her current institution. The Northeast-10 All-Academic Teams are chosen by a vote of the Northeast-10 Sports Information Directors.