June 1, 2007

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - Laura Kot, a member of the Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's fastpitch softball team, was honored on Wednesday when the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® College Division Softball Teams were announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Kot, a senior second baseman from Tallmadge, Ohio, was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® First Team as she became only the sixth MVNU athlete in any sport and the first softball player to be named to a CoSIDA Academic All-America® First Team. She also was selected as the College Division Academic All-America® Player of the Year - which is a first for an MVNU student-athlete in any sport.

The former Tallmadge High School star posted a career-best .462 batting average with three doubles, one triple, 12 RBI, 27 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases. Kot finishes her career ranked second in school history with a .427 batting average, second in career stolen bases (41), third in career hits (209), and fourth in career runs scored (113). She was selected as the American Mideast Conference South Division Player of the Year and the National Christian College Athletic Association East Region Player of the Year. She was also named to the NCCAA All-American First Team for the second time in her career.

Kot, who was on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Second Team as a junior, becomes the first MVNU female student-athlete to be a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team selection. She joins Diana Kirkpatrick (1995, Third Team) and Jenni Davis (2002, Third Team) as previous Lady Cougar softball players to be named to a CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team. Kot graduated as the co-valedictorian of MVNU's Class of 2007 with a 4.00 grade point average as a Mathematics major. In addition to her previous CoSIDA academic honors, she was a two-time selection to both the NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete teams.

The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® College Division Teams are selected by CoSIDA members. Eligible student-athletes are nominated by their school's sports information director and must have at least a 3.20 grade point average and be at least in their sophomore year. Each of the eight CoSIDA districts selects an All-District First Team, which is then forwarded on for consideration at the national level. The College Division is made up of all NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA schools.