LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The IUP softball team added another national recognition to its historic 2025-26 campaign, earning a top-10 finish in NCAA Division II in team grade-point average, as announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).
The Crimson Hawks posted a 3.742 team GPA during the academic year, placing the program among the top 10 academically in Division II.
IUP also had a program-record 21 student-athletes earn NFCA Scholar-Athlete honors. The Crimson Hawks were among 1,869 Division II student-athletes recognized after finishing the academic year with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Of IUP's 21 honorees, 10 posted perfect 4.0 GPAs, highlighting a season in which the Crimson Hawks excelled both in the classroom and on the field.
The national recognition comes after IUP posted the highest team GPA among all PSAC softball programs during the 2025-26 academic year.
Individually, Delaney Patella added to her decorated career by earning CSC Academic All-America honors. Maddie Griffin also made program history by becoming the first IUP softball student-athlete to receive the PSAC Champion Scholar Award, recognizing the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the PSAC Softball Championship.
The academic accomplishments capped a memorable year for IUP under head coach Shawna Bellaud. The Crimson Hawks tied the program record with 38 victories, captured the PSAC West regular-season championship and advanced to the PSAC semifinals while also establishing new standards for academic success.
