CSC OFFICIAL RELEASE
GREENWOOD, Ind. – As announced by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) organization today, Simmons University softball standout Piper Kinney has been named to the CSC Academic All-America® Division III Softball Second Team, one of the highest honors awarded to collegiate student-athletes for excellence in both athletics and academics.
The honor caps one of the most decorated seasons by a student-athlete in program history.
Established in 1952, the Academic All-America® program is the longest-running and most prestigious academic and athletic award in college sports. The recognition is reserved for student-athletes who perform at an elite level both in competition and in the classroom.
Kinney becomes just the second student-athlete in Simmons Athletics history to earn Academic All-America honors and the first Shark to be selected to the Second Team. In 2011, fellow softball standout Annie Thompson earned Third Team Academic All-America recognition.
At the conference level, Kinney becomes the 50th Academic All-America selection in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) history and the 36th individual student-athlete from the conference to earn the honor. She is also just the second GNAC softball student-athlete to receive Academic All-America recognition since 2020.
The honor adds to a historic senior campaign for the Marlborough, Massachusetts native. Earlier this spring, Kinney earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First Team All-Region recognition and was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Year after establishing herself as one of the top pitchers in Division III softball.
In the circle, Kinney finished the season ranked fourth nationally with 190 strikeouts while tying for third in the nation with nine complete-game shutouts. She compiled a 19-7 record and a 1.87 ERA across 164.1 innings pitched.
Causing havoc on both sides of the game, Kinney also excelled offensively, batting .364 with 48 hits and a team-leading 35 runs scored while earning All-GNAC Second Team honors as a utility player.
The Academic All-America distinction reflects more than athletic achievement. A Neurobiology major with minors in Chemistry and Public Health, Kinney graduated with a 3.99 GPA, earning Summa Cum Laude honors and recognition as a member of the Simmons Academy. She was named to the Dean's List in all eight semesters and was inducted into the Psi Chi, Sigma Xi, and Chi Alpha Sigma honor societies.
Beyond her success on the field and in the classroom, Kinney has been heavily involved in research, leadership, and community service throughout her time at Simmons. She has contributed to research projects at institutions including Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Simmons University, presenting her findings at numerous symposiums and professional events. She also served in leadership roles within the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the Neuroscience and Psychology Department while participating in community outreach initiatives, hospital volunteer work, and academic mentorship as a teaching assistant.
Kinney's accomplishments in the classroom, laboratory, community, and on the softball field have distinguished her as one of the nation's premier student-athletes and earned her place among the NCAA Division III Academic All-Americans.
