ST LOUIS, Mo. –  Five Redbirds were selected to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete team, the league office announced on Monday.
Seniors Hannah Meshnick, Bella Atkinson and Bailah Bognar, junior Paige McLeod and sophomore Tatum Wolford were all recognized for their hard work on the field and in the classroom.
To meet the criteria, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically. Â Redshirt freshmen were not eligible. Nominees must have a 3.50 cumulative GPA, both as an undergraduate and graduate student, where applicable. Eligible nominees must compete in at least 75 percent of the institution's games played OR must start in at least 50 percent of the institution's games. For pitchers, a student-athlete must have made at least 17 appearances OR pitched 35 innings.
Meshnick, a senior from Hortonville, Wis., earned her third-career nod to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team, holding a 3.96 GPA in exercise science. She is also a three-time Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete selection and was named to the ALL-MVC Second Team last season. Meshnick has pitched 61.1 innings in Valley play this season while striking out 31 batters. She has a conference-high five saves on the year and is the all-time saves leader in program history with 12 in her career. Meshnick has had a strong year at the plate, as well, batting .333 in MVC play with three home runs. She will graduate in May and plans to pursue a masters in exercise physiology.
Atkinson, a senior from East Troy, Wis., earned her first MVC Scholar-Athlete team selection with a 3.60 GPA in agriculture. Atkinson has posted a record-setting season in which she became just the third Redbird in program history to amass over 40 hits, 40 runs scored and 40 RBIs in a single season. She leads the Redbirds and ranks fourth in the MVC with a .395 batting average with 14 doubles and 10 home runs. Atkinson is hitting .404 in Valley play with 38 hits, six of those being long balls. She will graduate in May with her bachelor's degree in animal industry management and plans to pursue her master's at ISU in the fall.
Bognar, a senior from Milan, Ill., earned her first-ever MVC Scholar-Athlete Team honor while earning a perfect 4.0 GPA in Business Administration and Marketing. She is a two-time Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete selection and Illinois State AFNI Honor Roll member. In her senior season, Bognar has set career-highs in hits, walks and RBIs, along with slugging her first career home run against Illinois on March 31st. She will graduate in May with her bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing and plans to continue as a Pricing Analyst with Caterpillar and coach travel softball.
McLeod, a junior from Danville, Calif., earned her first-ever MVC Scholar-Athlete Team honor with a 3.70 GPA in nursing. A second-team ALL-MVC honoree in 2024, McLeod has been a consistent force in the circle this season for the Redbirds, pitching 143.2 innings with 73 strikeouts. McLeod holds an 18-5 record in the circle, including a 12-3 mark in Valley play. Her 18 wins this season are a career-high and rank second in the conference. She has posted a 3.03 ERA during MVC action with seven complete games, two shutouts and two saves.
Finally, Wolford, a sophomore from Wapello, Iowa, earned her first-ever MVC Scholar-Athlete Team honor with a 3.92 GPA in elementary education. Wolford, an Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete last season, is batting .313 on the year with 42 hits, 40 runs scored and 17 RBIs, becoming the 22nd individual in school history to record at least two of the three in a single season: 40 hits, 40 runs scored and 40 RBIs.
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