Five Student-Athletes Selected to Academic All-District Softball Team
5/27/2025 12:47:00 PM | Softball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Five student-athletes on the University of Missouri softball team were awarded Academic All-District honors, College Sports Communicators announced Tuesday.
Kara Daly, Cierra Harrison, Kayley Lenger, Claire Cahalan, and Abby Hay all earned the honors from CSC. Daly secured the distinction for the third-straight time while Harrison and Lenger both were awarded the laurel for the second-straight season.
For Mizzou Softball, it marks the second-consecutive year with a program-best five Academic All-District selections.
The 2025 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.
The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced June 17, 2025.
Kara Daly, a Jefferson City, Missouri, native, graduated from the University of Missouri this month with a degree in Health Science: Health & Wellness Services. She completed her undergraduate degree with a 3.910 cumulative GPA and will stay in Columbia to attend the University of Missouri School of Nursing.
Daly has been selected to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll and was named to the 2021-22 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll. She has been awarded Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors three times.
She started and appeared in 51 games as Mizzou's starting third base (17)/shortstop (34). Daly finished third on Mizzou offensively in 2025, batting .268 with 38 hits, 25 runs, nine doubles, 10 homers and 35 RBI. She slugged .542 in 2025 (.373 on-base percentage).
Daly totaled nine multi-hit games (fourth on MU) and nine multi-RBI games (third on MU) this season.
She notched three hits against Ole Miss on March 30, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Daly also registered a career-best matching five RBI against Kansas City on March 16 with a double and a home run.
Daly finished her collegiate career with 237 games played (233 starts), 651 at bats, 101 runs, 164 hits, 32 doubles, three triples and 40 home runs, batting .252. She also had 139 RBI. Daly ranks ninth in Mizzou program history for home runs and 10th all-time for RBI.
Cierra Harrison, a pitcher from Lee's Summit, Missouri, has a 3.867 cumulative GPA and is pursuing a degree in Psychology at Missouri.
Harrison has been selected to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll and was named to the 2022-23 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll. She has been awarded Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors twice.
Harrison made 27 appearances in the circle over her junior campaign with 24 starts. She registered a 10-8 mark with four complete games, a shutout and a 3.95 ERA over 106.2 innings pitched.
Harrison tallied 89 strikeouts and limited opposing offenses to a .261 batting average in 2025.
Kayley Lenger, an outfielder from Liberty, Missouri, has a 3.946 cumulative GPA and is studying Elementary Education at Missouri.
Lenger has been selected to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll and was named to the 2022-23 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll. She has been awarded Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors twice.
Over her junior campaign in 2025, Lenger appeared in 52 games with 39 starts (38 in center, one in right). Lenger registered 20 hits with 18 runs, three doubles, a triple and four homers. She added 11 RBI with a .402 slugging percentage (.342 on-base percentage, .217 batting average).
In the field, Lenger notched a .989 fielding percentage including 1.000 in SEC play. She was featured fifth on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays for her diving catch against Texas on April 5.
She had four multi-hit games and three multi-RBI games in 2025.
Claire Cahalan, a Dadeville, Alabama, outfielder, has a 3.969 cumulative GPA and is pursuing a degree in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism: Sport Management at Missouri.
She has been named to the 2023-24 SEC First-Year Honor Roll and earned Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors.
Cahalan appeared in 52 games with 48 starts in left and center over her sophomore campaign in 2025. She batted .266 with 33 hits, 19 runs, a team-best three triples, seven RBI and 11 stolen bases.
Cahalan had seven two-hit games and notched two RBI twice in 2025. She went on a team-high 15 game reached base streak this season.
Abby Hay, a first baseman from Columbia, Missouri, has a 3.806 cumulative GPA and is pursuing a degree in Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism: Sport Management at Mizzou.
She has been named to the 2023-24 SEC First-Year Honor Roll and earned Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors.
Hay appeared in 41 games with 37 starts at first over her sophomore season in 2025. She compiled 15 runs, 16 hits, seven doubles, three homers, 15 RBI and 29 walks.
Hay slugged .381 with a .395 on-base percentage over the campaign.
She notched five multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games in 2025.
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