As a Division III student athlete, commitments like classes, homework and studying along with practices and games in addition to work, can be a lot to fit in, and many struggle to find the balance between everything. When an athlete focuses on one area—school, work or athletics—the other two can suffer significantly. It can be a lot of work and at times it may seem nearly impossible to finish, but it’s not.
Last spring, four Blackburn student-athletes proved just that by being named to the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic team in their respective spring sports, joining a list of Blackburn alumni that can be found on the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) website. These athletes were softball players Hannah Goett and Jensen Ballinger, golfer Kyle Kesinger and tennis player Gariel Pierce.
Softball Player Hannah Goett
In her junior season, Goett led the Beavers in on base percentage with a .512 and placed second on the team with a .430 batting average and runs batted in (28).
Softball Player Hannah Goett
“It is important to me to achieve it because I’m not only working hard on the field, but also in the classroom… the all-academic team is a recognition for the hard work all student-athletes have put in the classroom,” Goett said.
Softball Player Jensen Ballinger
Teammate Ballinger pitched her way to a 9-9 record in nearly 100 innings of work. The battery helped Blackburn to a 13-19 record—a ten win improvement over the previous season.
Softball Player Jensen Ballinger
In his senior season Kesinger was a member of the men’s golf team who placed second in the SLIAC tournament.
While Kesinger and the men’s golf team put together their best season since they became the SLIAC champions in 2011, then-sophomore Pierce competed on the tennis courts as Blackburn’s number two singles player. She also paired with Karlee Brimberry as the college’s top doubles team. “I wasn’t surprised,” admitted Pierce. “I put academics above everything… my parents always told me that my education would take me far. I am here to of course enjoy the college life and play the sports I love, but the goal is to get my degree.”
Tennis Player Gariel Pierce
Not only did these four athletes reach the required 3.5 grade-point average by excelling in the classroom, they also found themselves among the top in their sport, contributing significantly throughout their season.