University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball players Jessica Stang (Minnetonka, MN/Minnetonka) and Amanda LeBeau (Worth, IL/Richards) have earned College Sports Information Directors of America/ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District honors.  

Stang's accomplishments include first team All-WIAC twice and WIAC Pitcher of the Year twice. She helped UW-W win two WIAC titles and was a four-time WIAC pitcher of the week, 1st team All-Region and All-American in 2009, and a member of the division III NCAA Runner-up team in 2008. The list continues with her participation in the World Series All Tourney in 2008, Region Pitcher of the Week, and Louisville Slugger/NFCA DIII National Player of the Week. Not only is she successful on the mound, but her achievements are highlighted academically as well. Stang was on the Dean's list for a total of five semesters, apart of the WIAC Honor Roll twice and was awarded the UW-W Academic Achievement Award, and the NFCA Scholar Athlete twice. She was announced second team CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All District in 2009, and was honored with the Madsen, Pembine and Esrael scholarships. Her involvement in her sorority gave her the ability to win the Eta Signma and Golden Key honor societies.  To add to her list of achievements, she is a member in SAAC and involved in the mentoring program and to top it off the President of Sigma Alpha Lambda.

This season Stang is 13-6 and has an ERA of 1.45. She totals 134 strikeouts and only 47 walks.


LeBeau's accomplishments are just as impressive.  She was also named first team All-WIAC twice, and All-Region twice. She, just as Stang, helped UW-W win two WIAC titles. LeBeau was named NCAA DIII National-Runner up in 2008, was apart of the Regional and World Series All-Tourney teams in 2008 and was a two-time WIAC position Player of the Week. She also shines in the classroom being on the Dean's list six semesters and winning the UW-W Academic Achievement Award three times. LeBeau was awarded the UW-W Chancellor Scholar Athlete and was apart of the WIAC Honor Roll three times, along with being named the NFCA Scholar Athlete twice, second team CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All District in 2009. She was awarded the UW-W Foundation and Admissions scholarships, Phi Eta Sigma and Golden Key honor societies while balancing the Tutor for Project Assist and her involvement in the Breast Cancer awareness walk, Make a Difference day and reading with Warhawks.

LeBeau has started all 40 games and has a current batting average of .377, a .417 on base percentage, with five homeruns and an outstanding 36 RBIs.

Minimum qualifications for the academic team are a 3.3 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale), significant contributions to their team, sophomore standing in athletics and academics, and one complete year at their current school.  Academic honors and accomplishments, and college and community service, are also considered.  Meeting the minimum does not automatically qualify the student athletes for the honor.  The nominees are placed on a national ballot where college sports information directors vote for district winners.  Members of the first team from each of eight districts are placed on a national ballot

For additional information:  Brenda Volk, UW-W softball coach