Written By: WAC Media Relations

DENVER, CO - Seattle U volleyball player Kelly Biette, New Mexico State softball player Amber Olive and Louisiana Tech bowler Kayla Ghersini have been nominated for the 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

The award acknowledges senior female student-athletes’ distinguished achievements in areas of service, leadership, athletics and academics. The NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee will select the top 10 winners in each NCAA division (I, II and III). From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will select the top three in each division. Finally, the members of the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) will vote from among the top nine to determine the 2013 NCAA Woman of the Year.  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: NM State Athletic Dept.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The New Mexico State softball team was honored by the NCAA for their exemplary academic performance with the Public Recognition Awards announced Wednesday. This is the ninth time that a team from New Mexico State has been recognized and the second year that the softball team received the honor.

Broken down by sport, the Aggie softball team was honored for standing among the top 10 percent of all academic performing teams in the country in the multi-year Academic Progress Report (APR) for the 2011-12 academic year.

"Our program strives to excel in everything we do on the field, in the classroom and in service to our community," head coach Kathy Rodolph said. "I am very proud of our student-athletes and their commitment to excellence."

Top performing APRs ranged from 978 to a perfect 1,000 and a total of 976 teams were publicly recognized across all sports, including 593 women’s teams.  Continue Reading This Post >>

CoSIDA Academic All-American Teams (PDF)

New Mexico State senior outfielder Amber Olive was named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Softball second team as selected today (May 23) by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Olive carried a 3.88 grade point average in communication studies.

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 18,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: NM State Athletic Dept.

RUSTON, LA - Six New Mexico State softball players were selected as part of the All-WAC teams for the 2013 season. Staci Rodriguez was named WAC Player of the Year and first team All-WAC. Amber Olive and Alex Newman also received first team All-WAC honors, while Kristi Covarrubia, Emma Adams and Malena Padilla were selected as part of the second team all-conference.

Rodriguez, a sophomore from Paramount, Calif., earns Player of the Year accolades after leading the WAC in home runs (9), RBI (26), total bases (56) and slugging percentage (.903) through league play. She ranks second in the conference for runs scored (16), fourth in batting average (.403) and on-base percentage (.507) and is sixth in hits (25). She was named WAC Hitter of the Week three times during the season and ranked as high as sixth in the nation for home runs. Sitting with 20 this year, the sophomore is currently tied for sixth in the nation.  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: NM State Athletic Dept.

LAS CURCES, N.M. - New Mexico State softball player Amber Olive earned Capitol One CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. Olive is one of just three players from the Western Athletic Conference to receive the prestigious honor.

Joined by Louisiana Tech’s Erin Kipp and Seattle’s Allegra Wilde, Olive now advances to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.

The communications major from Simi Valley, Calif., earned a spot on the All-District 6 team for her success during her senior year. Olive carries a 3.88 grade point average and has started each of the Aggies 50 games this season. She leads the WAC in hits (71) and runs (39) and ranks second in batting average (.403). Her 71 hits this season puts Olive third on the all-time records list for hits in a single season.  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: WAC Media Relations

DENVER, CO New Mexico State’s Staci Rodriguez has been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter for April 22-28. This is the third honor of the season and of her career for Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, a sophomore outfielder from Paramount, Calif., led New Mexico State to a 3-0 record against Seattle U last week to remain atop the WAC standings. She posted a .750 batting average, a .800 on-base percentage and an astounding 2.000 slugging percentage with a double, three home runs and eight RBI over the three games. In Friday night’s series opener, she was 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. In the come-from-behind win over the Redhawks in the series finale, Rodriguez hit two three-run home runs. With 20 bombs this season, Rodriguez ranks second at New Mexico State and seventh in the WAC in single-season home runs. With the eight RBI last week, she is now tied for second place at NM State and tied for 10th in the WAC in single-season RBI with 62.

Written By: NM State Athletic Dept.

Colorado Springs, CO- New Mexico State softball player Amber Olive was recently awarded with the annual All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year award, The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) announced earlier this month.

The award, in its 34th year of existence, recognizes a student-athlete’s dedication to strength training and conditioning.

Olive was selected by NM State strength coach Tony McClure and was among 229 collegiate and high school athletes from 98 schools with the award.

“Entering her senior season, Amber Olive has been a catalyst and leader to NM State softball success,” McClure said. “From her very first day as a freshman to the present, Amber has led by example.”  Continue Reading This Post >>

Written By: WAC Media Relations

DENVER, CO - New Mexico State’s Staci Rodriguez has been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter for April 8-14. This is the second honor of the season and her career for Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, a sophomore outfielder from Paramount, Calif., led New Mexico State to a 4-1 record last week, including a sweep of UTSA and a win over No. 17 Arizona. She hit .615 (8-for-13) with a double, three home runs and seven RBI on the week. She posted a 1.385 slugging percentage and a .688 on-base percentage. Rodriguez had a hit in each conference game and went 3-for-3 in game two of the Aggies’ mid-week series against the Wildcats. Her three home runs last week extended her season total to 16, which ties for third in the NM State single-season record books..

Written By: WAC Media Relations

DENVER, CO - New Mexico State’s Alex Newman has been named the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week for April 1-7. This is the first of the season and second of her career for Newman.

Newman, a senior from Rio Linda, Calif., went 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA last week as the Aggies moved into first place in the WAC standings with a series sweep of UT Arlington. She opened the week with a complete-game victory, allowing one unearned run on three hits. Newman then threw eight innings of relief in a 12-inning victory over the Mavericks in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday, striking out six. In the series finale, she entered in the sixth inning and threw 2.2 innings in an eight-inning 6-5 Aggie victory.

Written By: WAC Media Relations

DENVER, CO - New Mexico State’s Staci Rodriguez has been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week for Feb. 11-17. This is the first-ever honor for Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, a sophomore outfielder from Paramount, Calif., led the Aggies at the plate last week with a .400 batting average, a .840 slugging percentage and a .429 on-base percentage. She was 10-for-25 with two doubles, three home runs, a sacrifice fly, two walks and an astounding 13 RBI. Rodriguez posted three multi-hit games and had a hit in six of the team’s seven games last week. In a win over UTEP, she finished with two hits, including a home run, and four RBI. She had her best game against Colorado State on Sunday, when she went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a stand-up double.