May 6, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced that two Penn State softball student-athletes, Ashley Griffith (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) and Danee Collett (Rogersville, Tenn.), were selected to the Academic All-District II honor roll on Thursday. Griffith made the first team, while Collett landed on the second team.
Griffith, a co-captain of the 2010 Nittany Lion softball team, earned her first CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine honor on Thursday thanks to her 3.95 cumulative grade point average and stellar play on the field. Currently second on the team in batting average (.292) and first in runs (33) and walks (24), Griffith leads the nation in sacrifice bunts (22) while swiping 10 bases and playing an outstanding left field. The reigning Penn State Defensive Player of the Year, Griffith has made just one error all season in 48 chances. Griffith had the highest cumulative GPA of all but one senior selected to the team.
Collett has had a breakout year in 2010 setting new career highs in hits (40), doubles (11), homers (5) and RBI (29), while batting .292 this season. The sophomore catcher has been a clutch hitter, twice hitting game-winning RBI this season. Collett has twice put together seven-game hitting streaks this season as well as streaks of 11 and 15 games in getting on base. Additionally, Collett has every pitch in all 48 games for the Nittany Lions.
Griffith's first team nod is the first since 2008 when 2009 graduate Danielle Kinley (Carlsbad, Calif.) received the second of her back-to-back honors. Last season Kinley was a second team honoree. Both Griffith and Collett are now eligible to earn Academic All-America honors.
The Penn State softball team hosts Ohio State for a pair of games Saturday and Sunday. Before this weekend's action, the team will host a ceremonial groundbreaking for the $10.2 million Nittany Lion Softball Park on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
For complete coverage of all the Nittany Lion softball this season, visit GoPSUsports.com.
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--NITTANY LIONS--