Two Cougars earn WCC All-Academic honors

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - Two BYU softball players have received West Coast Conference All-Academic honors announced by the conference Thursday.

Senior Coco Tauali'i Bond and junior Lauren Bell were both recognized for thier pursuit of academic excellence in conjunction with their contributions to their team.

Bond, one of two seniors on this year's squad, has been strong a third base all season. She has tallied 25 hits, 16 RBI and 22 runs. In WCC play, she has notched three RBI in wins over Saint Mary's and in her final home game against Santa Clara. Against No. 10 UCLA early on, she hit a three-run homer. This is her third All-Academic WCC honor. She is majoring in exercise and wellness.

From shortstop, Bell has anchored the defense all season while being a consistent hitter from the plate. She is second on the team in batting average (.393), hits (57) and runs (40) while leading in sacrifice hits with 19. She also has 19 RBI this season. At Pacific, she hit a three-run home run to win the game for the Cougars. She has gone 3 for 4 four times this year and had a perfect 3 for 3 game against San Diego State. This is her second year in a row receiving All-Academic WCC honors. She is majoring in exercise science.

At the conclusion of each athletic season, the WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC- sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to her team.