AUSTIN, Texas – Senior Laura Lawson was selected to prestigious CoSIDA Division II Softball Academic All-America 3^rd Team recognition at outfield for her athletic and academic prowess in the 2017.
 
CoSIDA's Academic All-America program has honored thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions since 1952. The teams are nominated and voted upon by sports information directors across the country.
 
Lawson is just the ninth student-athlete in Mansfield history to be named to CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and just the second softball student-athlete. Mansfield has placed a student-athlete on the distinguished All-America team in four of the last six academic years including back-to-back years in 2015-16 and 2016-17
 
The Morgantown, Pa. native was a two-time PSAC Central Athlete of the Week selection during the 2017 season. Lawson led the PSAC and ranked 16^th in the nation in triples per game at .14 and was sixth in the conference in doubles per game at .31. The senior led the team in hits (41), runs scored (28), doubles (11), total bases (74) and starts (35). She ranked sixth in the league in slugging pct. at .643.
 
This season, Lawson posted a .927 fielding pct. with 38 putouts in the outfield. She also stole three bases.
 
Lawson graduated summa cum laude in May with a degree in biology and was named the department's Outstanding Senior Award nominee. She also successfully completed Mansfield University's honors program.
 
A dual sport athlete, she is a four-time Easton/NFCA Scholar-Athlete in softball and four-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction in field hockey.
 

Year	Sport	Name	Team	Position
1983	Football	John Delate	1st	DB
1992	Baseball	Tim Fenton	1st	3B
1996	Baseball	Mike Resetar	1st	C
2001	Baseball	Matt Edwards	1st	OF
2003	Football	Dan Holland	2nd	LB
2012	Men's TF/XC	Justen Johnson	2nd	--
2014	Softball	Kate Pratt	2nd	IF
2016	Women's TF/XC	Kelsey Carlsen	3rd	--
2017	Softball	Laura Lawson	3rd	OF