May 29, 2003

WACO, Texas - Baylor sophomore shortstop Kim Wilmoth was named a third-team selection to the 2003 Verizon Academic all-America University Division Softball Team, announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America. A Garland, Texas, native, Wilmoth joins Naomi Fitzgerald (2000, 2001) and Ryan Stukel (2001) as the only Lady Bears to ever earn Academic all-America honors.

An accounting and business major at Baylor, Wilmoth led the Lady Bears and ranked fourth in the Big 12 with a .339 batting average. Her one-year jump from .216 as a freshman in 2001 is a school record for highest increase in batting average. Prior to this year, no player with at least 100 at bats in both seasons had risen her average more than 35 points from one season to the next.

Wilmoth led the Big 12 conference with four triples and 21 stolen bases. Through two seasons, she already ranks fourth on Baylor's career stolen base chart with 42. Her 61 hits this season ranked third in the Big 12 and eighth all-time at Baylor.

After committing 25 errors last season, Wilmoth posted arguably the best defensive campaign ever by a Baylor shortstop. She made just six in 196 chances this year for a .969 percentage, also a school record. Wilmoth enjoyed a school-record streak of 27 games and 90 chances without committing an error mid-way through the season.

Wilmoth is one of just three Big 12 student-athletes to earn Academic all-America honors in softball this season. Lauren Bay of Oklahoma State was a first-team pick, while Catherine Osterman of Texas joined Wilmoth on the third team.

Academic all-America honorees are selected by voting members of the College Sports Information Directors of America. An eligible student-athlete must maintain a 3.20 cumulative grade point average through a minimum of three semesters at the institution and participate in at least 60 percent of her team's games. Student-athletes who earn academic all-district honors are then eligible for all-America honors.