The NFCA announced WKU's former Lady Toppers Rachel Boucher and Shannon Smith among current Lady Toppers Mallorie Sulaski, Amanda Walden and Shelby Taylor scholar-athletes for their 2009-10 academic excellence in the classroom. A student-athlete must have acquired a 3.5 GPA for the year participating to qualify for the individual honor.
Boucher and Smith completed their senior season last May for the Lady Toppers. Boucher holds the school record in runners thrown out stealing with 42 and is tied for the single season school record in games played. She is also ranked second in a single-season in batting average, at bats and multiple-hit games. She was named to the Cosida ESPN The Magazine All-District Third Team in 2008 and was named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List twice.
In her final season on the Hill, Smith recorded over 20 hits, 15 RBI and scored four runs while maintaining a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Academically, she was named to the Cosida ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team. She was named the Gordon Ford College of Business Outstanding Accounting Senior last season and was the 2010 WKU Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Additionally, she was a three time WKU Scholar-Athlete award winner, was named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List twice and was named to the WKU President's List seven times. She was also named the 2008 WKU Foreign Language Achievement award winner.
Sulaski finished last season leading the team in batting average with a .340 average after recording 36 hits and scoring 12 runs in just 38 games. She posted 15 RBI during the season and was named to the Buzz Classic All-Tournament Team during the season and the Sun Belt Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week. She also was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team.
Walden competed in 25 games as a sophomore for the Lady Toppers. Walden has recorded four hits and four runs with one stolen base and a 1.000 fielding percentage. For her academic success in 2009-10 she was named NFCA Scholar-Athlete.
Taylor finished her freshman campaign appearing at outfield in six games for the Lady Toppers in 2010. She had four at-bats and finished with an on-base percentage of .200. For her academic success she was named NFCA Scholar-Athlete for 2009-10.
The WKU softball team opens up the 2011 season on Feb. 11, when they head to Santa Barbara, Ca., to take part in the UC Santa Barbara Tournament.
