Lenoir-Rhyne’s Rivers, Atkins Earn NFCA All-America Honors

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Lenoir-Rhyne University's Kat Rivers has been named to the 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA NCAA Division II Softball All-America First Team. In addition to Rivers, L-R's Sarah Atkins was selected to the NFCA All-America Third Team as an at-large. NFCA is the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Rivers' honor comes on the heels of her selection to 2010 NCAA Division II Daktronics All-America Second Team. The junior shortstop from Royston, Ga., is also the first player in school history to earn first-team All-America honors as Casey Hanes (2006), Meredith O'Connor (2007) and Atkins (2010) all garnered third-team All-America accolades.

Rivers led Lenoir-Rhyne (53-9 in 2010) with a .437 batting average this year and set school single-season marks for runs scored (65), hits (90), runs batted in (64) and total bases (179). In addition, Rivers' 23 home runs is a South Atlantic Conference single-season mark and is currently tied for the national lead.

Rivers has earned all-league and all-conference accolades the past three seasons and was named the 2010 South Atlantic Conference and Southeast Region Player Of The Year.

Kat Rivers

Sarah Atkins

Atkins, the 2010 SAC Food Lion Tournament Most Valuable Player, finished this year with a .355 batting average to go along with 14 home runs and 63 runs batted in (second-best on the squad). Atkins, a sophomore catcher from Newport News, Va., was a 2010 Daktronics NCAA Division II honorable mention All-America selection and has been a First-Team All-SAC and All-Southeast Region pick the past two seasons.

Both players led L-R to the 2010 SAC Regular Season and Tournament Titles and a berth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Super Regional Tournament in Dahlonega, Ga. The Bears also set a school record for wins in a single season this past spring.

2010 NCAA Division II NFCA/Louisville Slugger
Softball All-American Teams

FIRST TEAM
Pitcher - Sarah Phillips, North Georgia
Pitcher - Casey Hanes, Wayne State
Pitcher - Sherise Musquiz, Hawaii Pacific
Catcher - Alyssa Shirey, Valdosta State
Catcher - Kacie Easley, Angelo State
First Base - Kyrie Timbrook, Caldwell
Second Base - Alix Dean, Angelo State
Third Base - Miranda Campbell, Emporia State
Shortstop - Kat Rivers, Lenoir-Rhyne
Outfield - Danielle Monson, Central Washington
Outfield - Kimberly LeComte, West Texas A&M
Outfield - Mollie Bjelland, Winona State
Designated Player - Kaycee Taylor, Angelo State
Utility/Pitcher - Lindsey Slocum, Nebraska-Omaha
Utility/Non-Pitcher - Dre Brunskill, Mary
At Large/3B - Jelena Shaw, UNC Pembroke

SECOND TEAM
Pitcher - Shavaun Fisher, Bloomsburg
Pitcher - Kayla Jackson, Arkansas-Monticello
Pitcher - Katie Petersen, Midwestern State
Catcher - Brittnie Boerema, St. Joseph's (Indiana)
Catcher - Kelsey Thompson, Minnesota State-Mankato
First Base - Kristen Drage, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Second Base - Danielle Lazorka, Bloomsburg
Third Base - Amber Ingram, West Florida
Shortstop - Samantha Ingersoll, West Chester
Outfield - Jayme Hefler, Lewis
Outfield - Kris Lesovsky, California-San Diego
Outfield - Lauren Dykes, North Georgia
Designated Player - Beth Lawson, Alabama-Huntsville
Utility/Pitcher - Megan Russell, Indianapolis
Utility/Non-Pitcher - Dacey Hassey, Northwest Missouri State
At Large/C - Christine Roser, Rollins

THIRD TEAM
Pitcher - Breanne Gleason, New Haven
Pitcher - Katie Goetzinger, Wayne State
Catcher - Lacy Mauro, Bloomsburg
First Base - Katherine Martin, North Georgia
Second Base - Emilie Hobbs, Arkansas-Monticello
Third Base - Nicole Downs, New Haven
Shortstop - Lauren Lopez, Nova Southeastern
Outfield - Alison Allen, Wayne State
Outfield - Sarah Hayslip, Arkansas-Monticello
Designated Player - Maile Kim, Hawaii Pacific
Utility/Pitcher - Kristin Danielson, Minnesota-Duluth
Utility/Non-Pitcher - Ashley McSweeny, Wheeling Jesuit
At-Large/C - Sarah Atkins, Lenoir-Rhyne
At-Large/1B - Megan McCormick, Indiana (Pa.)
At-Large/1B - Shannon Miles, West Florida
At-Large/2B - Anna Bjorlin, Concordia, St. Paul
At-Large/OF - Sarah DeMoss, Angelo State
At-Large/P - Torie Bunzell, Quincy
At-Large/OF - Melissa Medina, Long Island-C.W. Post
At-Large/SS - Emiley McEwen California State, Dominguez Hills