AUSTIN, Texas – Colorado Mesa University catcher Ally Distler earned the 2025 Academic All-America Team Member of the Year distinction, leading all student-athletes on the 2025 Division II Academic All-America® teams, selected by College Sports Communicators.

Distler, a graduate student pursuing a degree in physical therapy, earned her third Academic All-America® selection thanks to a flawless 4.0 GPA. Her academic efforts also earned her back-to-back RMAC Summit Awards and a third RMAC Academic Player of the Year title.

On the diamond, Distler was a cornerstone for the Mavericks’ success, helping guide the team to its fourth regional appearance in the last five years and an impressive 40-17 overall record. Distler started all 57 games, hitting .318 with 16 home runs, a .408 on-base percentage, and a .674 slugging percentage. With her performance this year, Distler was named to the 2025 First Team All-RMAC roster.

In addition to Distler, six student-athletes are repeat selections on the Academic All-America® Division II softball team – Macauley Bailey (Carson-Newman University), Sam Schott (University of Texas at Tyler), Savanna Brooks (Wingate University), Sydney Watson (Converse University), Heather Arnett (Pittsburg State University), and Natalia Mallozzi (Gannon University). Distler and Brooks are three-time selections.

Thirteen of the 33 members of the Academic All-America® Division II softball teams boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate work or graduate school. The 11 members of the first team have an average GPA of 3.93.

The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist the College Sports Communicators with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2024-25 Division II Academic All-America® program.

About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 67 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.