Whitaker, LeClair Highlight All-GAC Selections and Kruger, Charnock Earn Elite Scholar Honors
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference released its yearly awards and All-Conference selections on Wednesday, with East Central University softball earning multiple honors both on the field and in the classroom.
Freshman
Hannah Whitaker highlighted the Tigers' All-Conference selections, earning her first All-GAC nod as a Second Team utility player after a standout debut season. Whitaker showcased her versatility throughout the year, seeing time at third base and first base before settling into left field, where she provided steady defense. Offensively, she finished second on the team in batting average (.268), hits (37), and RBIs (22), while leading the team with 10 doubles. Defensively, she recorded 83 putouts and 31 assists for an impressive .983 fielding percentage.
Elyse LeClair also earned her first All-GAC recognition, being named to the Honorable Mention team to cap off an outstanding career at ECU. The senior shortstop started and played in all 53 games this season, leading the team with a .373 batting average, which ranked No. 13 in the GAC. She also led the team in runs scored (28), hits (62), total bases (72), and stolen bases (25), with her stolen base total ranking fifth in the conference. LeClair set the program's single-season stolen base record in her final collegiate game against Henderson State, surpassing the previous mark set by head coach Autumn Wyatt in 2016. Defensively, she totaled 83 putouts and 132 assists for a .982 fielding percentage.
In the classroom,
Haley Kruger and
Brooklyn Charnock excelled, earning GAC Elite Scholar Athlete honors. The award is given to student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point averages across the conference, and Kruger and Charnock were two of just 12 recipients.
LeClair,
Kennedy Lord,
Lindsey Mauppin,
Abbey Strong,
Rylynn Truett, and
Kate Williams were also recognized for their academic achievements, earning spots on the GAC Academic Honor Roll for maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA.
The Tigers narrowly missed qualifying for the GAC Championship Tournament in Bentonville, finishing the season with an 18-35 overall record and a 10-23 mark in conference play. ECU will look to build on the experience gained this season and carry that progress into next season.
