Lake Forest College softball player Kat Beall received the Midwest Conference Elite 20 Award for the second straight season. The presentation was made on May 5 at the MWC Tournament.
Beall, a junior shortstop and double-major in mathematics and finance, earned the honor by holding the highest cumulative grade point average of any player at the four-team tournament. She continues to possess a perfect 4.0 GPA after her first five semesters at the College.
Beall started all but two games this season and helped lead Lake Forest to a 22-16 overall record and a 12-5 mark in conference play as the Foresters qualified for the MWC Tournament for the 18th year in a row. She batted .282 on the season, tied for the team lead with nine doubles, and posted a .957 fielding percentage while ranking second in the league with 91 assists.
In each of its 20 sports, the MWC recognizes the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average participating in the league's championship or tournament event. The award recognizes the commitment of the student-athlete toward the pursuit of excellence in both the athletic and academic realms, as measured by reaching the pinnacle of competition within the league, while also achieving the highest academic standard among peers.
Beall is the second student-athlete at the College to earn the honor this academic year, joining men's soccer player Nipun Chauhan. She was also one of two Foresters recognized in 2015-16, the first year the league presented the award.