RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Catcher Elena Bowman (San Mateo, Calif.) of the Manhattan College softball team, the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year, has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Softball First Team. She’s the fifth Manhattan student-athlete ever to earn First Team Academic All-America® honors, and the first in 21 years.
A unanimous choice as MAAC Player of the Year, Bowman was also a unanimous First Team All-MAAC selection. She paced the MAAC in batting average (.448), slugging percentage (.920), on base percentage (.586, which is currently ninth nationally) and home runs (16), and she tied for the league lead with 41 RBIs. Bowman also recorded team-highs in hits (56), doubles (11), walks (34) and runs scored (39). In addition, she started all 46 games behind the plate and didn’t commit an error in 266 defensive chances.
Manhattan’s Co-Female Student-Athlete of the Year, Bowman earned a place on the MAAC All-Academic Team for the second straight season in 2015. A Management major, she was also selected to the Capital One Academic All-District Team.
Only those student-athletes that are named Academic All-District advance to the national ballot. Voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the Academic All-America® Team, recognizes starters or significant reserves who have completed at least two semesters at their institution and boast a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher.
Bowman is the 10th Manhattan softball player to receive Academic All-America® honors. Former teammate Kate Bowen was a third team selection last year. She’s the first Jasper to earn a place on the Academic All-America® First Team since Danielle Yearick in 1994. Jackie Jamieson, who was recognized in 1984, was the Jaspers’ only other First Team Academic All-America® selection in softball. Overall, Manhattan student-athletes have now been recognized on an Academic All-America® team a total of 34 times since 1978.
The Jaspers finished 26-20 in 2015, their first winning record in four years. Manhattan also set a program mark with 13 conference wins and qualified for the MAAC Tournament for the second consecutive season.