LOUISVILLE, KY – Sixteen members of the 2026 Francis Marion University softball team have been named to the Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athlete Team, while the Patriots garnered the Team Academic Award for the sixth time in eight seasons.
As a team, Francis Marion posted a 3.581 grade point average to rank 53rd among all NCAA Division II programs.
The players recognized were graduate student outfielder
Mikaela Goss (Fuquay-Varina, NC), graduate student right-handed pitcher/ first baseman
Jenna Walling (Johns Island, SC), senior first baseman
Tallulah Civoniceva (Scarborough, Queensland, Australia), senior shortstop
Madalyn White (Currie, NC), senior outfielder
Anderson Thrower (Hanahan, SC), senior second baseman
Maddy Golka (Wesley Chapel, FL), junior infielder
Riley Davis (Crawfordville, FL), and junior designated player
McKenzie Jewell (Coral Springs, FL),
Also, sophomore infielder
Reese Miller (Clayton, NC), sophomore catcher
Rylee Gray (Sewickley, PA), sophomore outfielder
Sydney Weaver (Kingsville, MD), freshman right-handed pitcher
Reese Watson (Pinopolis, SC), freshman right-handed pitcher
Laini Kosinski (Manning, SC), freshman left-handed pitcher/outfielder
Giana Mirenda (Reading, PA), freshman infielder
Lainey Amaker (Moncks Corner, SC), and freshman outfielder
Claire Neely (Farmville, NC).
Goss, Thrower, and Walling secure the academic honor for the fourth time, while White is a three-time honoree. Civoniceva, Davis, Golka, Gray, Miller, and Weaver garnered the award for a second time.
Over the past 15 seasons, Patriot athletes have earned this recognition on 129 occasions.
On the field, head coach
Stacey Vallee guided Francis Marion to a 47-13 overall record, equaling the second-most wins in program history, and captured its fourth-straight Conference Carolinas Tournament championship. FMU claimed the conference's East Division title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for a fifth consecutive season – and a second Super Regional appearance in as many years.
The team and individual honors are submitted by member head coaches and recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across the Association's membership categories.
