Olivia Paszek wasted little time making an impact on the Franklin College softball team.
A former standout at Franklin Community High School, Paszek recently concluded her freshman season as the leader of the Grizzlies’ pitching staff.
A left-hander, she posted a team-best record of 11-6, a team-high 103 strikeouts and a staff-best ERA of 2.52 in 108.1 innings.
For her efforts, Paszek earned third-team All-Central region honors by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
As evidenced by all of the above, Paszek — who finished 14 of her 17 starts — was instrumental in helping the Grizzlies tie the team record for wins with 21.
Another player who had a prominent role in Franklin’s success was junior McKensie Vanosdol. And she, too, recently picked up a national honor — for her work in the classroom.
A designated player/pitcher, Vanosdol has been selected to the Capital One Academic All-District Team, which is selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
With her selection, she is eligible for Academic All-American consideration. An athletics training major, she maintained a 3.34 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.
On the field, Vanosdol led the Grizzlies in four categories: batting average (.409), RBIs (28), runs scored (23) and doubles (14).
On the mound, she had 10 starts, six wins, six complete games and 53 strikeouts.
Runners recognized
Anna Murdock and Jameson Brock recently were recognized as the top female and male athletes at Franklin College.
Murdock, an Indian Creek graduate, received the Jenny Johnson-Kappes Award as the school’s outstanding female student-athlete.
A cross-country and track standout, Murdock became only the third track and field All-American in Franklin history when she earned the honor during the indoor season. She placed eighth at the 2015 NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships in the 800-meter run and this year was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference MVP in cross-country, indoor track and outdoor track.
Brock, a graduate of Noblesville High School, won the Wil B. Nelp award as Franklin’s outstanding senior male student-athlete.
A football and baseball standout, Brock had the rare distinction of earning first team All-HCAC honors for football and baseball.
A defensive back on the football team, Brock played on four straight HCAC championship teams. He had career totals of 181 tackles and five interceptions.
An outfielder on the baseball team, he ranks fourth in Grizzlies’ history in hits (218) and has the third-highest career batting average in program history at .368. This season, he hit .394 with 67 hits, 27 RBIs, 39 runs scored and 13 doubles.
He started 145 of 147 games he played in during his career.
In the category of leadership, senior Rachel Lucas won the school’s Hunter Leadership Award, presented annually to a junior or senior female student-athlete for excellence in academics and team leadership and for involvement in campus and community service projects.
A soccer and track standout, Lucas helped lead the women’s soccer team to a school-record 12 wins this season and was part of the Grizzlies’ school-record 1,600 relay in track.
