Softball player Kaili Saathoff ’25 was named the 2024 Academic All-American of the Year by the College Sports Communicators organization. The Philomath resident, who earned a 4.0 GPA, is the second Linfield athlete ever to be accorded CSC’s premier Academic All-American of the Year award, considered the highest scholarly honor for a Division III student-athlete. Volleyball star Lindsay Harksen ’06 first earned the honor in 2005.
Saathoff is also the first repeat Elite 90 Award winner in Division III softball. The award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at each of the NCAA’s 90 championship events.
Joining Saathoff on the CSC’s Division III Academic All-America first team is Brynn Nelson ’25. The second baseman from Bonney Lake, Washington, earned a 3.96 GPA.
Also named a CSC Academic All-American is tennis player Sarah Forester ’24. She earned second team honors after being named to the third team in 2023.
The Corvallis resident recently graduated with a perfect 4.00 grade point average.
Forester and Saathoff become Linfield’s second and third two-time CSC Academic All-Americans. Baseball’s Nick Fisher ’14 first achieved the feat in 2013 and 2014.
