University of North Carolina Athletics
Kendra Lynch Named NFCA Second Team All-America
May 31, 2017 | Softball
Louisville, Ky. – North Carolina senior Kendra Lynch was named Second Team All-America on Wednesday, as selected by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Lynch is the 10th Tar Heel to earn NFCA All-America honors and it marks the third consecutive season that Carolina has received an All-America selection.
"Kendra has had an All-American year," said head coach Donna J. Papa. "It is a testament to all of the hours she invested in hitting, pitching and training throughout her career. She challenged herself at both pitching and hitting and was very successful in both areas. She was one of the top home run hitters in the country and one of the top hitters to ever come through our program. She is now in the record books here and has left her mark."
A finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Lynch led UNC at the plate, hitting .374 with 68 hits, 13 doubles, 21 home runs, 68 RBIs and 144 total bases while slugging .791. The Indianapolis native broke Carolina's single-season records for RBIs and total bases, besting a 21-year-old mark by four total bases. Carolina's designated player posted the fourth-highest slugging percentage in program history, while launching the second-most home runs in a season. A hard out at the plate, Lynch became just the second Tar Heel in program history to record more home runs than strikeouts in a season, slugging 21 homers while striking out just 14 times in 182 at-bats.
One of North Carolina's best hitters throughout her career, Lynch's name can be found all throughout the Carolina record books. The left-handed power hitter finished second all time with a .644 career slugging percentage, 168 RBIs and 52 home runs, while ranking third in total bases (378) and seventh in walks. Her 52 dingers rank ninth all time in ACC history, while she currently sits in 11th in the conference in career RBIs and slugging percentage. An accomplished pitcher, Lynch set five single-season records last year as a junior and finished in the top-10 all time in four career pitching categories.
Named ACC Player of the Week twice in 2017, she also earned NFCA All-Southeast Region First Team, All-ACC Second Team and a place on the ACC All-Tournament Team. Also a star off the field, Lynch won the UNC Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award and earned the prestigious Leader of Distinction title from the Richard A. Baddour Carolina Leadership Academy.
"To be recognized as an All-American is something you take with you for the rest of your life," said Papa. "I am proud of how Kendra has represented our program on and off the field year in and year out. I cannot think of anyone more deserving. What a great way to cap off your four-year career. Congrats to her and I am excited to see the successes she has going forward."
Lynch was one of six ACC student-athletes to appear of one of three NFCA All-America teams, joining Florida State Seminoles Jessica Warren (1st), Jessica Burroughs (1st), Morgan Klaevemann (2nd) and Alex Powers (3rd) and Syracuse Third-Team selection Sydney O'Hara.
| 2017 NFCA Division I All-Americans | ||
| First Team | ||
| Player | Pos. | School |
| Kelly Barnhill | P | Florida |
| Sarah Groenewegen | P | Minnesota |
| Danielle O'Toole | P | Arizona |
| Kendyl Lindaman | C | Minnesota |
| Jessie Harper | 1B | Arizona |
| Hannah Flippen | 2B | Utah |
| Jessie Warren | 3B | Florida State |
| DJ Sanders | SS | La.-Lafayette |
| Bailey Landry | OF | LSU |
| Aleah Craighton | OF | La.-Lafayette |
| Amanda Lorenz | OF | Florida |
| Megan Good | UT/P | James Madison |
| Sahvanna Jaquish | DP/UT | LSU |
| Meghan Gregg | At Large (SS) | Tennessee |
| Jessica Burroughs | At Large (P) | Florida State |
| Alexis Osorio | At Large (P) | Alabama |
| Delanie Gourley | At Large (P) | Florida |
| Nikki Udria | At Large (SS) | Oregon |
Second Team |
||
| Player | Pos. | School |
| Megan Betsa | P | Michigan |
| Megan Kleist | P | Oregon |
| Randi Rupp | P | Texas State |
| Jenavee Peres | C | San Diego State |
| Shay Knighten | 1B | Oklahoma |
| Caleigh Clifton | 2B | Oklahoma |
| Katiyana Mauga | 3B | Arizona |
| Morgan Zerkle | SS | Marshall |
| Lea Foerster | OF | Michigan State |
| Morgan Klaevemann | OF | Florida State |
| Kelly Christner | OF | Michigan |
| Sierra Hyland | UT/P | Cal Poly |
| Kendra Lynch | DP | North Carolina |
| Rachel Garica | At Large (UT/P) | California |
| Paige Parker | At Large (P) | Oklahoma |
| Mo Mercado | At Large (SS) | Arizona |
| Lindsey Cargill | At Large (3B) | Baylor |
| Emily Watson | At Large (P) | Tulsa |
Third Team |
||
| Player | Pos. | School |
| Allie Walljasper | P | LSU |
| Kaylee Carlson | P | Auburn |
| McKenna Bull | P | BYU |
| Jordan Dixon | P | Marshall |
| Chloe Miller | C | Wisconsin |
| Alex Powers | 1B | Florida State |
| Faith Canfield | 2B | Michigan |
| Riley Sartain | 3B | Texas A&M |
| Lilli Piper | SS | Ohio State |
| Cortni Emanuel | OF | Georgia |
| Nicole Evans | OF | Illinois |
| Danica Mercado | OF | Oregon |
| Sydney O'Hara | UT/P | Syracuse |
| Vanessa Shippy | DP/UT | Oklahoma State |
| Emily Lochten | At Large (SS) | Florida Atlantic |
| Kayli Kvistad | At Large (1B) | Florida |
| Katie Reed | At Large (SS) | Kentucky |
| Jessica Twaddle | At Large (1B) | Murray State |
| Ali Aguilar | At Large (SS) | Washington |
