LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Sixteen players from eight schools in three-member regions have garnered 2018 NFCA National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III All-America Team recognition, the Association revealed on Wednesday.

Additionally, Rebekah Ludden of North Dakota State College of Science was selected the New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe Award recipient, while Central Lakes College-Brainerd’s Kaye Smude took home the Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year honor.

2018 NJCAA DIII All-Americans

Rock Valley College, which collected its fifth straight NJCAA DIII title earlier this month, leads all teams again this season with four honorees. National runner-up Herkimer County Community College placed three of its players on the team for the third straight season.

Brookdale Community College, Monroe Community College and NJCAA third-place squad North Dakota State College of Science each had two selections, while Central Lakes College -Brainerd, Corning Community College and Rowan College at Gloucester County had one honoree apiece.

There were seven selections in the North Region, six in the Midwest and four in the East.

Four first-time All-Americans- RVC’s Breanna Crown (18-3, 1.94 ERA, 84 K, 10 BB, 115.2 IP), Herkimer’s Kali Puppolo (15-3, 2.29 ERA, 168 K, 113 IP), North Dakota SCS’s Brooke Harder (27-12, 2.95 ERA, 205 K, 256.1 IP) and Monroe’s Amber Terlaje (17-6, 2.00 ERA, 88 K, 10 BB, 146.2 IP) make up the pitching selections.

Smude, the Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year, hit .372 with 14 doubles, six home runs 44 RBI and 53 runs scored. She threw out eight runners attempting to steal.

Two-time All-Americans Madason Shaw of RVC (.466, 25 2B, 8 3B, 11 HR, 69 RBI, .882 SLG, 67 R, 27 SB) and Shannon Moore (.422, 16 2B, 11 HR, 62 RBI, 55 R) of Herkimer County headline the five infield selections. Joining the duo is Brookedale’s Paige Eckert (.444, 80 H, 21 2B, 7 HR, 63 RBI), Monroe’s Maria Marcera (.537, 72 H, 15 2B, 5 3B, 35 RBI, 51 R) and North Dakota SCS’s Salavao Veu (.492, 19 2B, 9 HR, 53 RBI, 65 R).

A quartet made up of RVC’s Courtney Fernette (.442, 17 2B, 12 HR, 64 RBI, 52 R), Corning’s Michele DiNicola (.526, 15 2B, 17 HR, 80 RBI, 1.059 SLG), Rowan College’s Nicolette Gentile (.462, 5 3B, 58 R, 34 SB) and Brookedale’s Katrina Hand (.461, 71 H, 60 R, 15 B)) are the 2018 outfield All-Americans.

Rounding out this year’s All-Americans is utility honoree and NJCAA DIII Championship Most Outstanding Offensive Player Annaka Bartz (.437, 25 2B, 6 3B, 12 HR, 53 RBI, 52 R) of Rock Valley College and designated player selection Keeanna Wolcik (.492, 18 2B, 11 HR, 53 RBI, .910 SLG) of Herkimer County.

Ludden, the New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe recipient, swiped 41 bases in 42 attempts to rank second in NJCAA DIII. Offensively, she led North Dakota SCS with a .516 batting average and .563 on-base percentage. The sophomore recorded 63 hits, 11 doubles, two triples, 23 RBI and 34 runs.