LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Trine University softball team made a final appearance in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll coming in at 21st in the final iteration of the season.
The Thunder fell out of the Top 25 for the middle portion of the season before reappearing for the final three iterations of the poll. This final appearance is the highest the team has appeared since late March when they were ranked 18th.
Virginia Wesleyan University finished the season as No. 1 after capturing the 2021 NCAA national championship. Texas Lutheran University and DePauw University rounded out the top three.
Trine captured their tenth Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Regular Season Championship by finishing the season in a tie atop the MIAA standings with Hope College. They also completed the eleventh 30-win season in the program's NCAA history by finishing the season 30-8 overall.
The Thunder collected a swath of individual awards in recognition of their play this season. Highlighting the group was senior Mercede Daugherty (Watervliet, Mich. / Watervliet) who was named NFCA All-Region second team and the MIAA Most Valuable Player.
Six other members of the team earned first or second team honors from the MIAA including sophomores Amanda Prather (Indianapolis, Ind. / Roncalli) and Anna Koeppl (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) and junior Ashley Swartout (Westfield, Ind. / Westfield) on the first team and sophomore Ellie Trine (Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo) and freshman Scarlett Elliott (Utica, Ohio / Utica) on the second team.
A final highlight of the season came when the team defeated Saint Mary's College by the score of 14-4 to complete a sweep, the win was a historic one going down as the 500th victory of head coach Don Danklefsen's career.
For the complete Top 25 poll visit the NFCA's release.