LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A dozen members of the Plymouth State University softball program were honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) for their efforts in the classroom as NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes on Thursday.
 
Seniors Ashley Trogler (Rochester, N.H.), Caroline Macri (Burlington, Mass.), Jade Guertin (Oakland, R.I.), Kaity Montelongo (South Paris, Maine), and Kate McGrath (Boston, Mass.), juniors Emily Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) and Kenzie Bessette (Cranston, R.I.), sophomores Kennedy Michaud (Auburn, N.H.), Kiera Larson (Glenwood Springs, Colo.), and Samantha Durrenberger (Antioch, Calif.), and freshmen Emily Estes (York, Maine) and Mackenzie Griswold (Bath, N.H.) were all recognized for their academic success.
 
To be eligible, a student-athlete must achieve a 3.50 or better cumulative GPA for the 2024-25 academic year only.
 
Under four-year head coach Mike Bernier, the Panthers finished the season with a 28-16 record (9-7 LEC) and advanced through the winner's bracket of LEC Tournament to compete for the league title for just the third time in program history. Picked eighth in the LEC Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Panthers tallied the second-most wins in a single season in program history – just two shy of the program record – representing a remarkable 12-win improvement from last spring.