BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The St. Joseph's University, N.Y. – Brooklyn softball team was represented on the 2025 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team® by Makena Burr (Foster City, Calif./San Mateo), Vivian Garcia (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt), Leila Heller (Belle Chasse, La./Belle Chasse), Lauren Van Der Kamp (Sacramento, Calif./Rosemont), and Payton Walker (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt).
The All-District® teams, selected by CSC, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must have a grade-point average of at least 3.50, which is not rounded up, to qualify for the team.
Boasting a team-best 3.888 semester GPA, Burr leads the trio of first-time All-District® honorees on the squad. The sophomore criminal justice major tallied 84 strikeouts across more than 106.1 innings pitched. She notched her 100th career strikeout during the Bears' pivotal April victory over Sarah Lawrence and now holds a career total of 120 strikeouts.
Garcia makes up one of three nursing majors to receive All-District® recognition. She led the Skyline Conference with 57 hits, placed second with a .504 batting average and 39 RBI, and ranked inside the top five in other major statistical categories. The sophomore became the second Bear in program history to hit for the cycle, doing so in the aforementioned contest against the Gryphons.
Heller features on the All-District® team for the second time in as many seasons. She tossed 69.2 innings and registered 46 strikeouts, including the 100th of her career against Alverno in March. At the dish, the nursing major logs a .400 batting average to go with 20 hits and 11 RBI.
Van Der Kamp, alongside fellow nursing major Heller, earns All-District® honors for the second time and was among the 10 inaugural inductees into the Beta Delta Chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma. The senior outfielder, who participated at last Thursday's commencement, was named to six Skyline Academic Honor Rolls spanning both softball and cross country. She concludes her collegiate career with 133 hits, a .390 batting average, and a .496 slugging percentage.
Walker completes the group of five, earning her first All-District® honor. She either led or finished in the top three in most major offensive categories. Posting a .490 batting average, .863 slugging percentage, and a .570 on-base percentage, she also tallied 50 hits, 49 RBI, and 88 total bases, the psychology major was recognized as the conference's Player of the Year and earned a spot on the NFCA All-Region III Second Team.
The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CSC Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.
Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced June 17, 2025.
