Greenwood, Ind. - For the second straight year, Central Methodist senior first baseman Elizabeth Palumbo was named a CSC Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators.
She is the first known two-time Academic All-American in program history, earning second-team honors this past season and first-team recognition in 2025.
Palumbo is an exercise science major from Sterling, Illinois, and boasts a 3.87 GPA. She finished her senior year with All-Region Second Team honors from the NFCA and Heart First Team All-Conference recognition. Palumbo appeared in all 57 games for the Eagles, batting .415 with 20 doubles, three triples, and eight home runs.
She drove in 53 RBI while drawing 24 walks. Palumbo led her team to a 40-17 record, a Heart Tournament Championship, and a trip to the national tournament for the sixth straight year.
The Academic All-America program celebrates college student-athletes who perform at an elite level in their chosen sport and in the classroom. The all-time list of 42,000+ Academic All-Americans includes major sports stars and some of the world's most accomplished individuals in medicine, business, science, and the arts.
Established in 1952 and selected by College Sports Communicators, Academic All-America is the longest-running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports at all NCAA levels, the NAIA, two-year colleges, and Canadian institutions. Teams are announced year-round and amplified by CSC member colleges, universities, and conferences on a wide local, regional, national, and even international scope.
To view additional information about the Academic All-America program, please see below.
- Outstanding student-athletes are nominated for Academic All-District® recognition by communications directors and must have a minimum 3.50 GPA and meet high athletic standards. (approximately 30,000 nominations annually)
- A select group of student-athletes advances to the national ballot, where CSC members vote on Academic All-America teams. (approximately 2,000 selections annually)
- An Academic All-American of the Year is selected in each sport and division. (66 recipients)
- An Overall Academic All-America Team Member of the Year is selected as the top student-athlete across all sports in each NCAA and NAIA division. (4 recipients)
To view the CSC release on the 2025-26 Softball Academic All-America teams, please click here.
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