Michigan State University Athletics
CoSIDA Academic Honors for Foerster, Zalewski
5/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
East Lansing, Mich. - Redshirt junior Kristina Zalewski (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and junior Lea Foerster (Portage, Mich.) have been named College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District selections, as announced earlier today. These All-District teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
The Spartans had multiple Academic All-District selections for the first time since 2003 when MSU placed three on the squad (Jessica Beech, Sandy Lewis, and Margaret Schick). Foerster earns the honor for the second consecutive season, becoming the fifth player in program history to earn First Team honors twice; she has the opportunity to become a three-time selection as a senior, as only Hall-of-Famer Patty Raduenz (1994-96) and Margaret Hollis (1998-2000) have previously accomplished. Zalewski is named to the team for the first time, and will also be back in 2018 for MSU.
"We are incredibly proud to put two athletes on the All-District Team," said head coach Jacquie Joseph. "One of the big things that we find during the recruiting process is that young women want a competitive softball environment as well as a strong academic program â€" we have players who make us incredibly proud of the way they represent our university and our program by being well-rounded student-athletes.
"Lea and Kristina are not only excelling in the classroom, but are also making their marks among the all-time great players in our program," continued Joseph. "We're enjoying a season where records are being broken on the diamond, but we also have more than 75% of our eligible players who qualify for Academic All-Big Ten honors. This is the dream for a coach, where they are among the best of the best in both disciplines."
Foerster is among the nation's leaders in nine different categories: doubles (first, 20), doubles per game (third, 0.43), scoring (second, 1.30 runs per game), slugging percentage (eighth), total bases (ninth, 125), and on-base percentage (.533). She is also 23rd in home runs (14), 31st in homers per game (0.30), and 50th in batting average (.410). Foerster, who maintains a 3.7 cumulative grade point average as a kinesiology major, also served as the Outreach Chair for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee executive board, as well as being heavily involved with Athletes in Action. In 2016, she was an Academic All-Big Ten selection and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
Zalewski is a redshirt junior, having missed much of her freshman season with injury. She also missed much of the pre-Big Ten season in 2017 rehabbing from off-season surgery, but the ace of the Spartan staff in 2016 is climbing the MSU career charts, ranking second all-time with 432 career strikeouts. This season, she is 15th in the Big Ten with a 3.00 ERA, tied for eighth in saves (2) and has carried the most innings of any Spartan pitcher in Big Ten play (63.0), where she boasts a 2.67 ERA in 15 appearances with a staff-high 48 strikeouts. The nutritional sciences major boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA over seven semesters, and has twice been an Academic All-Big Ten selection and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
The Academic All-District™ teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. The minimum qualifications for nomination are a 3.3 cumulative grade-point average, to be a starter or significant reserve, and hold at least sophomore academic and athletic standing at the nominee's institution.
First-team Academic All-District™ honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America® honorees will be selected later this month.
