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Softball Academic All-America Teams announced

Senior pitcher Ashley Brignac of Louisiana-Lafayette and junior catcher Kelsey Kittleson of Luther lead the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America Softball Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Brignac and Kittleson have been chosen as the winners of the Academic All-America of the Year award in the university and college Divisions, respectively.

A kinesiology and exercise science major with a 4.0 grade-point average, Brignac is making her first appearance on the university division first team. She led the Ragin’ Cajuns to a 51-11 record and the NCAA Division I Austin Regional championship game in 2011 before they lost to, 4-1, on May 22. Brignac led Louisiana-Lafayette to its 11th Sun Belt Conference tournament championship in the last 12 years.

Brignac compiled a 32-7 record with 10 shutouts and a 1.50 ERA this season. She has pitched seven no-hitters in her career, including four in 2011. Brignac struck out 244 batters and walked 73 in 233.2 innings pitched as a senior. She did not commit an error in 55 fielding chances.

Kittleson, a biology major who also has a perfect GPA, is making her first appearance on the college division first team. She received the NCAA Elite 88 Award for the second straight year as the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the NCAA Division III Softball Championship in Salem, Va.

Kittleson led Luther to the NCAA tournament, a No. 4 national-ranking, and a 41-6 overall record, including a 14-2 mark in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Starting in all 47 games, she batted .403 with three home runs and 41 RBI. An outstanding defensive catcher, she had a .998 fielding percentage with only one error in 410 fielding chances. She threw out 9 of 29 base runners attempting to steal and added seven pickoffs.

For more on the softball Academic All-America team, click here.