ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Three members of the College of Saint Benedict Softball Team, including Bryn Carlstrom, Ellie Peterson and Cat Smetana were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® team Tuesday afternoon (May 28).

The 2024 Academic All-District® Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. Student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.

Carlstrom, Peterson and Smetana, who will now all advance to the national ballot for consideration as CSC Academic All-Americans, all provided key contributions to the Bennies which had a 26-19 record, finished 17-5 to earn a share in of the regular season MIAC title and reached the NCAA DIII Regional Tournament championship for the fourth time in school history. CSB has compiled 26 wins or more for the seventh straight year and 20 wins or more for the past 11 full seasons. Carlstrom earned her second straight College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honor while Peterson and Smetana both earned their first honor.

Peterson, a sophomore health and exercise science major from St. Anthony Village, Minn., had a special season in the circle in being named just the second MIAC Pitcher of the Year in program history, joining Ally Hjort in 2018. Peterson, who earned the All-MIAC Rookie of the Year and All-MIAC honors in 2023, compiled a 15-6 record, recorded 103 strikeouts, with 3.11 earned run average, 12 complete games and three shutouts in 2024. Peterson, who has earned back-to-back All-MIAC honors, ranks second for a season in program history with her 23 starts and 29 appearances while recording a program-best 137.1 innings. Also, Peterson's 15 wins ranks tied for fifth all-time with Ally Hjort (2019), and Angie Erickson (1999, 2000). In league play, Peterson was dominant with a 10-1 record with eight complete games, three shutouts and a league-leading 1.32 earned run average. Peterson, who had a 1.01 WHIP, allowed just five extra base hits and no home runs in 12 starts and 14 appearances while recording 58 strikeouts (2nd, MIAC)

Across two seasons, Peterson, who was a nominee for the TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year in 2023, is 24-8 with a 2.86 earned run average, accumulating 20 complete games, five shutouts, 205.1 innings and 165 strikeouts in 40 appearances and 34 starts. In earning all-tourney honors at the regional, she had a 2-1 record with a 3.59 earned run average in four appearances, finishing with a 2-1 record. She had 10 strikeouts in 13.2 innings.

Carlstrom, a senior accounting major from Rochester, Minn., was selected to the All-MIAC team earlier this spring. She received her fourth All-MIAC honor, including a third as a first-team selection (2021, 2021, 2024). Named Academic All-MIAC each of the past two years, she was the MIAC Rookie of the Year in 2021. In 2024, Carlstrom hit .324 with 48 hits, 27 RBI, eight doubles, .378 slugging and .357 on-base percentage. In the field, she had a .982 percentage with just three errors with 90 assists and 70 putouts. She had 14 multi-hit games, including two of three hits. In addition, Carlstrom had seven multi-RBI games including two with three in a game. For her career, Carlstrom hit .327 with 147 hits, 34 doubles, 87 RBI, .420 hitting percentage and .376 on-base percentage. With 145 career games, she ranks tied for seventh all-time (Madison Mikolich, 2016-19), her 147 hits is 11^th all-time, and her 34 doubles is fourth. She ranks tied for seventh in RBI in a career with 87 (Megan Toninato, 2015-18).

Smetana, a sophomore economics major from Lake Elmo, Minn., has earned two All-MIAC honors with this her first-team honor in 2024. A year ago, she was named third team NFCA All-Region. Smetana, who was also named to the 2024 MIAC All-Playoff Team for the first time, was honorable mention All-MIAC a year ago. In 2024, she hit .355 with 50 hits, 11 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 19 RBI and 21 runs scored with a .504 slugging mark and .399 on-base percentage. Smetana, who had a 13-game hitting streak, had 12 multi-hit games, including three games of three or more. She also totaled five multi-RBI games. In two seasons, she is averaging .363 with 66 hits, four home runs, three triples and 14 doubles and 27 RBI. She has a .538 slugging percentage and .406 on-base percentage in her career.