Corning CC's Grace Vondracek repeat choice as NJCAA Division III Softball Player of Year
Corning Community College sophomore infielder Grace Vondracek was named National Junior College Athletic Association Division III Softball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season Thursday.
Vondracek, an Odessa-Montour graduate, was selected as an NJCAA Division III first-team All-American for the third straight year Tuesday.
She helped the Red Barons to a third consecutive Division III national-runner-up finish this season. She went 13-for-15 during the World Series with three doubles and two triples to earn all-tournament recognition.
For the season, Vondracek batted .609, had a .687 on-base percentage and .974 slugging percentage, all of which ranked in the top five nationally. She was tops in the country in runs with 91, hits with 95, walks with 38 and her 43 stolen bases ranked third. Vondracek hit 11 home runs and had 64 RBIs.
Other accolades for Vondracek this season included Mid-State Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the second year in a row and NFCA Division III Player of the Year honors for a second time.
Quotable
"Grace Vondracek is the most decorated student-athlete in SUNY Corning history," Red Barons coach Stacy Johnson said in a press release. "To be named a two-time national Player of the Year is a tribute to her abilities.
"Offensively, Grace can beat you with her bat or her feet. She is one of the toughest outs in the nation because of her ability to drop a bunt or hit the ball out of the park. On the base path, she is a threat to steal any base at any time. Defensively, she has been the anchor up the middle with her speed, coupled with her strong arm."
Wood, Hill, Talbut also All-Americans
Elmira High graduate Lexi Wood and Jayden Hill joined Vondracek as first-team All-Americans, as chosen by the NJCAA Division III Softball Committee. Both are third-year sophomores.
Wood batted .486 this season with 12 homers and a national-best 94 RBIs. She earned first-team All-America recognition for the third time and was NJCAA Division III Player of the Year two years ago.
Hill, a Geneva High School alumna, posted a 21-4 record on the mound with a 2.84 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 157 2/3 innings. She was also a first-team All-American in 2021.
Also for Corning, sophomore designated player Grace Talbut was chosen a second-team All-American. The Vestal High graduate batted .405 and led the nation with 17 homers to go with 56 RBIs.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Grace Vondracek named NJCAA Softball Player of Year for second time
