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Softball Trio Garners CSC Academic All-District Honors

Turner and Kuhn advance to Academic All-America ballot

5/28/2024 11:00:00 AM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Three members of the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team Tuesday, May 28. Seniors Bailey Turner (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) and Megan Fontanetta (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) and junior Jen Kuhn (Normal, Ill.-University High) garnered the award for the Titans, with Turner and Kuhn advancing to the Academic All-America ballot.

Fontanetta reeled in the academic honor for the first time in her career, while Turner and Kuhn received the distinction for the second straight season.

In order to be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and maintain a grade point average of 3.50 or better, while appearing in 90 percent or starting 67 percent of a team's competitions.

Turner, the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin's Defensive Player of the Year, put together a career season in 2024. She hit a career-best .402 with a .598 slugging and .463 on-base clip. A First Team All-CCIW selection at second base and a Gold Glove nominee, Turner collected 47 hits with nine doubles, a triple, and four round-trippers. She drove in 31 and scored 26 runs while adding 13 walks and three stolen bases. She was named to the NCAA Oshkosh Regional all-tournament team following IWU's postseason appearance to close out her career. Turner graduated with a degree in chemistry, while maintaining a 3.61 GPA. She was named the CCIW Hitter of the Week once during the year, while picking up all-conference status for the third straight campaign.

Fontanetta started every game over the course of her career. In her senior season, the Arlington Heights, Ill. product split time between the outfield and DP position as she started all 43 games for the Titans. Fontanetta tallied 22 hits with two doubles and a homerun, while driving in 11 and scoring 17 runs. She walked 12 times, swiped five bases, and set the program's career sacrifice hits record. Fontanetta graduated earlier this month with a degree in design, technology, and entrepreneurship with a 3.64 GPA.

Kuhn was second on the team with a .434 batting average as the Green and White's everyday starter at shortstop. The Normal, Ill. native racked up 63 hits with 12 doubles, three triples, six homers, 47 RBIs, and 37 runs scored. She topped the team with a .683 slugging and added a .494 on-base percentage that was aided by 17 walks. A graphic design major with a 3.98 grade point average, Kuhn was a First Team All-CCIW pick for the second straight season and also received CCIW Hitter of the Week honors.

Turner and Kuhn were selected to move forward to the ballot for Academic All-America honors. CSC will release its Academic All-America softball teams Tuesday, June 18.

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