BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Thirteen Saint Benedict softball student-athletes earned 2026 Spring Academic All-MIAC recognition on Thursday, June 25.

CSB ranked third in the MIAC in female honorees for winter and spring, following Gustavus Adolphus (114) and St. Olaf (99). Saint Benedict finished third in the conference in overall female honorees with a total of 137, behind St. Olaf (156) and Gustavus Adolphus (149). The Bennies had 39 fall honorees in cross country, soccer and volleyball.

Those honored (listed alphabetically) include:

-Sophomore pitcher Anna Corbid (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area), a political science major with a 4.0 GPA;
-Sophomore second baseman Lauren Freeberg (Rogers, Minn.), an accounting and finance double-major with a 4.0 GPA;
-Sophomore outfielder Izzy Guttenfelder (Minnetonka, Minn.), a exercise and health science major with a 3.85 GPA;
-Junior outfielder Olivia Laudenbach (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech), a biology major with a 3.86 GPA;
-Senior third baseman Sammy Muetzel (Woodbury, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall), an exercise and health science major (pre-physical therapy emphasis) with a 3.69 GPA;
-Sophomore catcher Maddy Orth (Lakeville, Minn./North), a nursing major with a 3.79 GPA;
-Senior pitcher Ellie Peterson (St. Anthony Village, Minn.), an exercise and health science and Hispanic studies double-major with a 3.85 GPA;
-Sophomore infielder Izzy Radel (Owatonna, Minn.), an elementary education major with a 3.86 GPA;
-Senior catcher Bryn Ruhberg (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial), a political science major with a 3.97 GPA;
-Senior first baseman Cat Smetana (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater), an economics major with a 3.97 GPA; 
-Sophomore right fielder Lily Treml (Shakopee, Minn.), a sociology major with a 3.74 GPA;
-Senior center fielder Olivia Van Hout (Mahtomedi, Minn.), an exercise and health science major with a 3.63 GPA;
-Senior pitcher Olivia Wallace (Maple Grove, Minn.), a biology major (pre-physician assistant emphasis) with a 3.82 GPA.

Student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior academically with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 on a 4.00 scale to qualify for Academic All-MIAC recognition. Transfers, like first-years, must complete a full academic year to be eligible the following season. 

Athletically, student-athletes must be a member of a MIAC-sponsored, varsity team and be academically and athletically eligible. The student-athlete must have utilized a season of participation (per NCAA and MIAC definitions) and have remained on the sports roster through the conclusion of the sports season.

The Academic All-MIAC honor is the third for Muetzel, Peterson, Ruhberg, Smetana and Wallace, and the second for Laudenbach and Van Hout.

Five of the honorees – Freeberg, Peterson, Ruhberg, Smetana and Wallace – were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District softball team May 26.

Peterson earned the CSB Athletics Presidential Award, presented to a senior student-athlete that has exemplified excellence in the classroom, on the field and through community involvement. 

CSB collected a school-record 36 wins (36-11 overall) and captured both the MIAC regular-season and playoff championships en route to its seventh NCAA postseason appearance. The Bennies ended their season ranked second in Division III in walks (216), 12th in RBI (302), 13th in total runs (333) and 19th in home runs (34).