BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Five members of the St. Joseph's University, New York (Brooklyn) softball team were named to the 2026 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team®. Sophomore Brielle Nelson (Chandler, Ariz./Highland) makes her first appearance, while Makena Burr (Foster City, Calif./San Mateo), Vivian Garcia (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt), Audrey Scott (Rocklin, Calif./Whitney), and Leila Heller (Belle Chasse, Calif./Belle Chasse) all earned their second selections.
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.
Nelson is a All-District Team® debutant in her first season of eligibility. The criminal justice major had a .382 on-base percentage and a .333 slugging percentage, to go with 25 hits, 31 total bases, and 17 runs scored. The sophomore had multi-hit games against Sarah Lawrence, NYU, and Mount Saint Mary and sparked the Bears' come-from-behind effort in a win over Purchase.
Burr leads off the group of four returners to the All-District Team®. The junior's season was highlighted by recording her 200th strikeout toward the tail end of the campaign in a win over St. Joseph's Long Island. Tossing 112.2 innings, Burr finished with 11 wins, matching her total from the previous season. She had nine-strikeout games twice, against the aforementioned Golden Eagles and against Lesley at the Gene Cusic Classic.
Like Burr, Garcia lands on the team for the second season in a row. Her .350 batting average and .466 slugging percentage were both good for second on the team. Racking up 36 hits, including 11 for extra bases, Garcia eclipsed the 100 hit plateau, doing so against Brooklyn College as part of a 4-for-5 contest. The nursing major closed the year with eight multi-hit games, including three doubles against Purchase.
English major Scott closed out her collegiate softball career with her second career All-District Team® selection, her first since 2024. She capped off her final season with a career-high 33 hits, which included her milestone 100th career hit against Purchase on Senior Day. Scott finishes her time on the field with a career line of a .337 batting average, a .447 slugging percentage, and a .414 on-base percentage. Off the field, she also recently served as the president of the SJBK Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Heller becomes the first softball player in program history to graduate with three All-District Team®. At the dish, she had a career-best 29 hits and six extra-base hits, bringing her career totals to 89 hits, 110 total bases, a .335 batting average, and .414 slugging percentage. She made six appearances in the circle this campaign, logging 14 strikeouts in 27.2 innings pitched. Heller, a nursing major, finished her career with 153 strikeouts over 237 innings with a 4.43 earned run average.
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 2025-26 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CSC Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.
