LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Thirty-six student-athletes from 17 programs have garnered 2023 NFCA National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II All-America recognition, the association announed on Friday afternoon.
Louisburg College led the way with seven All-Americans and four first-team honorees. Murray State College followed with four honorees, while national third-place finisher Des Moines Area Community College, national runner-up Jones College and South Mountain Community College each had three. Murray State and Jones reaped three first-team awards apiece.
NJCAA DII All-Americans | View Videos (First Team
| Second Team)
Also picking up multiple plaudits were Louisiana State University-Eunice, Phoenix College (one first team) and Spoon River College.
Jones College outfielder Nia Luckett is a three-time NFCA first-team All-American and Pearl River pitcher Brinson Anne Rogers (At-Large) collected her second-straight first-team nod. Four other second-team awardees – LSU-Eunice’s Chole Bennett (Pitcher), DMACC Kendall Clark (Outfield), Murray State’s Kendall Tuck (DP or Utility/Non-Pitcher) and Cowley County Community College’s Maci Cole (Outfield) – are two-time honorees as well.
Earning the inaugural Joan Joyce Utility/Pitcher award for NJCAA DII is Laken Lienhard of North Iowa Area Community College. The renaming of the first-team Utility/Pitcher award honors the late Joan Joyce, an NFCA Hall of Famer, unparalleled two-way player, and pioneer of women’s sports. Lienhard is earning her first All-America honor as a sophomore.
NFCA All-Region and All-America athletes must be nominated by their NFCA-member head coach, are voted for by the coaches in their region or division, and ultimately selected by the elected NJCAA Division II All-American committee members to receive this prestigious accolade. All special awards are also selected by the All-American committee members or by the entire division.
Celebrating 40 years in 2023, the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded All-Region and All-America awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to a comprehensive drills database, to in-person events and a National Convention.
Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining nearly 6,700 coaches today at NFCA.org.
