GOSHEN, Ind. – Junior Jana Beitler (Berne, Ind.) became the fourth Goshen College student-athlete this year and first-ever softball player to be honored by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  The infielder was one of 11 members selected as Capital One Academic All-America College Division Third Team.

Chosen First Team All District earlier this month, Beitler is one of just four Mid-Central College Conference players to be placed on one of the three national teams.  She is also just one of five student-athletes honored on the three teams who sports a 4.0 grade point average.

The College Division of the CoSIDA Academic All-American program is comprised of NAIA and two-year institutions from across the United States and Canada.  To be eligible for the Capital One Academic All-American teams, a student-athlete must be nominated by his sports information director as a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).

The only Goshen College student-athletes to ever be picked as First Team Academic All-Americans were Mark Schloneger in baseball in 1997 and Jan Dohnal and Greg Thiessen in men's soccer this fall.  For a complete listing of this year's College Division Softball Academic All-Americans, click here.  

Jana Beitler (Biology) - The only member of the District 3 Team with a 4.0 GPA, Beitler has been a three-year starter for the Maple Leafs as a middle infielder.  She led the 2012 team with eight sacrifice hits and was fourth on the team with 29 hits.  For her career, Beitler has 73 hits, 11 doubles, four triples, and 26 runs batted in.