DALLAS – Eleven student-athletes were selected to the 2021 Conference USA Softball All-Academic Team, the league announced Monday. Charlotte, Southern Miss and UTEP garnered two selections each, and Middle Tennessee graduate student Summer Burgess was elected to the roster for a second season.
 
2021 Conference USA Softball All-Academic Team
Kourtney Gremillion, Charlotte, GS, 3.818 GPA, Graduate Certificate (Teaching)
Lindsey Walljasper, Charlotte, Jr., 3.750 GPA, Psychology
*Summer Burgess, Middle Tennessee, GS, 4.0 GPA, Master’s (Public Health)
Hope Trautwein, North Texas, Sr., 4.0 GPA, MBA
Heather Hill, Southern Miss, R-Sr., 4.0 GPA, Sport Coaching/Physical Education
Hannah Borden, Southern Miss, So., 4.0 GPA, Business/Spanish
Sierra Frazier, UAB, So., 3.90 GPA, Kinesiology (Fitness Leadership)/Psychology minor
Zaylie Calderon, UTEP, So., 4.0 GPA, Biology
Pate Cathey, UTEP, Jr., 3.91 GPA, Kinesiology
Riley Grunberg, UTSA, Jr., 3.87 GPA, Mechanical Engineering
Paige Carter, WKU, GS, 3.81 GPA, Sport Management (undergraduate)/ 4.0 GPA, Recreation Sport Administration (graduate)
*2018 selection
 
Charlotte graduate infielder Kourtney Gremillion posted a 3.818 GPA while working to obtain her graduate certificate in teaching. A Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Academic Medal recipient, the Gonzales, Louisiana, native has proven difficult to strike out and ranks top 50 in the nation with just seven in 151 plate appearances this season.
 
The second 49er to appear on the all-academic squad, Lindsey Walljasper is a psychology major and has managed a 3.750 GPA. The junior pitcher leads C-USA in wins (14) and innings pitched (162.0) and has tallied 13 complete games in 33 appearances.
 
Burgess notched her second all-academic accolade after appearing on the squad in 2018. The Florida product and Blue Raider shortstop has polished a 4.0 GPA while working on a master’s in public health. This season, Burgess became the program’s all-time hits leader (271), while also topping the record books in career starts and games played (245).
 
North Texas ace Hope Trautwein holds a perfect 4.0 in her first semester as an MBA student. The three-time C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Academic Medal winner made NCAA softball and Mean Green history this season when she threw a perfect game with every out recorded via strikeout. It marked her third-career 21-strikeout performance and second in 2021.
 
Two Golden Eagles both with 4.0 GPAs in their respective studies were honored on this year’s team. Redshirt senior Heather Hill registered a .942 fielding percentage and seven doubles as Southern Miss’ third baseman and a sport coaching and physical education major. Sophomore catcher Hannah Borden is double majoring in business and Spanish. She led her squad with nine home runs and became the only player to appear in all 53 games.  
 
UAB sophomore catcher Sierra Frazier paces the Blazers in home runs (9), walks (30), runs (31) and total bases (88) while also posting a perfect fielding clip. The California native owns a 3.90 GPA as a kinesiology major focusing on fitness leadership, with a minor in psychology.
 
Sophomore pitcher Zaylie Calderon and junior infielder Pate Cathey represent UTEP on the all-academic unit. Calderon is a biology major with a 4.0 GPA and led the Miners with a 3.95 ERA, a .281 opposing batting average and four saves. Cathey boasts a 3.91 GPA in her kinesiology studies and topped the team rankings in doubles (8), and sacrifice flies (3) and bunts (3) in all 37 starts.
 
UTSA junior first baseman Riley Grunberg is a mechanical engineering major with a 3.87 GPA. She has started every game for the Roadrunners throughout the 2021 campaign and tops the team ranks in slugging percentage (.625), RBI (40), home runs (13) and putouts (266).
 
Rounding out the all-academic selections is WKU redshirt senior Paige Carter, a 4.0 student in the university’s recreation sport administration graduate program. The three-time NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete ranks fifth on the Hilltoppers’ career home runs list (27) and has appeared in every game (212) throughout her career at WKU.