Bowling Green State University Athletics
Softball Captain Trio Honored For Academics and Athletics
May 28, 2008 | Softball
May 28, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Although the 2008 season has ended for the BGSU softball team the awards continue to roll in for the Falcons. Senior Allison Vallas and junior Hayley Wiemer garnered ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America honors, as they were both named to the third team announced today (May 28). The captain trio Vallas, Wiemer and Dawnjene DeLong was named to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference team, also announced today (May 28) by the conference office.
Vallas and Wiemer selection as ESPN the Magazine Academic All-Americans marks the first time in the history of the softball program for two players to earn Academic All-America honors in the same season. They are also the only softball players to earn this honor since the 2000 season when Erin Zwinck was named to the Academic All-America team. BGSU was one of the four softball programs to have two players named to the Academic All-America team and one of the two MAC schools to have a player on any of the teams with Kent State the only other team to represent the MAC.
Click HERE for the complete listing of the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America teams.
 Allison Vallas earned her first Academic All-America honor and third Academic All-MAC honor (Photo by Cindy Boso)  |
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To be eligible for the Academic All-America team, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.
The academic honors don't end there for the BGSU softball captains as all three were named to the 2008 Academic All-MAC team. BG was one of two teams to have three student-athletes named to the Academic All-MAC softball team with Central Michigan the only other school. Vallas has earned this honor for the past three seasons, while Wiemer earns her second award and Dawnjene DeLong earns her first.
To be nominated for the Academic All-MAC team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award. Outstanding academic and athletic accomplishments from the current season only are considered.
Click HERE for the complete listing of the Academic All-MAC Softball team.
As a trio the 2008 captains have taken care of business on the field and in the classroom boasting an average of a 3.92 cumulative GPA and the filling the top three spots for the Falcons in nine different categories this season. One of the trio can be found a top of the season leader boards in no less than 14 different offensive categories.
Vallas, a senior Perrysburg, Ohio native earned her first Academic All-America honor and third Academic All-MAC honor. She is an exercise science major with a 3.95 GPA while second for the Falcons with a .347 batting average and a .579 slugging percentage, including 42 hits, 26 RBIs, eight doubles, six homers and a triple. Vallas set a career high two homers against Eastern Michigan (April 11) becoming the sixth Falcon in program history to accomplish such a feat. On defense this season she led the Falcons with 338 putouts and tied for the second best fielding percentage (.986). In her senior season she was also named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District first team, earned All-MAC first team honors, MAC East Division Player of the Week honors twice, MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week and War Eagle Classic All-Tournament team honors.
 Hayley Wiemer earned her first Academic All-America honor and second Academic All-MAC honor (Photo by Cindy Boso) |
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Wiemer, a junior Sylvania, Ohio native was also garnered with her first Academic All-America honor and second Academic All-MAC honor. She is a secondary education major with a perfect 4.0 GPA, the only player on the Academic All-MAC team and one of 10 on the Academic All-America teams to own a perfect 4.0 GPA. Wiemer has gotten the job done on the field as well as in the classroom leading the Falcons with a .637 slugging percentage and 11 homers, tying the BGSU season record she set last season, now second in career homers with 23 only three shy of tying the BGSU career record. Wiemer is the only Falcon in program history to post two seasons of double-digit home run performances as well as the only to do so in consecutive seasons. Wiemer also dominated from the pitching mound this season as she posted a 15-7 overall record and 11-1 in the MAC. She is not only a leader in the MAC but is ranked among the top 100 in nation in six different categories. Wiemer is the most walked Falcon, player in the MAC and sixth in the nation. She is also 15th in the nation for walks allowed per seven innings, giving up a mere 1.08 walks per seven innings of work from the circle. Wiemer's performance on the field and in the classroom has been honored multiple times this season as she was named to All-MAC first team, to the NFCA Great Lakes All-Region second team, BGSU junior Scholar Athlete, to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District first team, to the MAC All-Tournament team, MAC East Pitcher of the week twice and MAC Scholar Athlete twice.
 Dawnjene DeLong earned her first Academic All-MAC honor (Photo by Cindy Boso) |
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DeLong a senior Hamilton, Ohio native and physical education major with a 3.81 GPA earned her first Academic All-MAC team selection. DeLong led the Falcons with a .348 batting averaging, 47 hits, 29 runs scored and 10 doubles. She also recorded a triple, five homers and 18 RBIs. DeLong opened the season with a perfect three-for-three, a homer shy of the cycle and went on to record 17 hits in the first 15 games with at least one hit in the first 12 of 15 games. She ended her collegiate career on an 11 game hitting streak recording 17 hits in the last 11 games of the season. DeLong was also named to the All-MAC second team, to ESPN the Magazine All-District third team and to the MAC All-Tournament team.
