PEORIA, Ill. -- Seniors Brittany Fairbairn (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East/Kankakee C.C.) and Kate Singler (Witt, Ill./Nokomis/Heartland C.C.) were both named Capital One Academic All-District First-Team selections, announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Thursday.
The duo are Bradley's first academic all-district honorees since Alycia Bachkora earned second-team honors in 2009 and the Braves boast two academic all-district selections in the same year for the first time since 1995. Kristy Brod was BU's last first-team academic all-district honoree, earning the distinction in 2004, and the pair will appear on the Capital One Academic All-America ballot later this month.
Fairbairn leads the team in hits (54), doubles (9), triples (6), sacrifice hits (7) and stolen bases (13), while sharing the team lead with 24 runs scored heading into the final weekend of the regular season. A .338 hitter on the year, she leads the Valley with six triples and her 54 hits are the most by a Bradley player since 2004.
The team MVP last year as a junior, Fairbairn is hitting a team-best .378 in Missouri Valley Conference play and boasts an impressive 13 outfield assists this spring. She is second on the team with 21 RBI and is hitting a team-best .400 with runners in scoring position in addition to leading the squad with nine two-out RBI. An elementary education major, Fairbairn owns a 4.00 cumulative grade point average.
Singler joins Fairbairn as the only players on the team to start all 50 games and paces the team with eight home runs, 27 RBI and 14 walks on the season. Her eight home runs is tied for the second best season total in school history and she has moved into a tie for ninth with 12 career home runs since transferring to Bradley.
BU's active career leader in RBI, Singler is on pace to become the fifth player to lead the team in RBI in consecutive years. She is hitting .281 this spring and leads the team with 14 runs scored in MVC play, while scoring or driving in 27 percent of Bradley's runs in league action. A secondary education major, Singler boasts a 3.93 cumulative grade point average.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve, maintain a 3.30 cumulative grade point average and reached sophomore athletic and academic standings.
Bradley closes out the regular season Saturday and Sunday with a three-game series against Wichita State. The Braves and Shockers open the three-game set with a noon doubleheader at Laura Bradley Park Saturday and finish out the regular season Sunday with a single game at noon.
