AUSTIN, Texas – Graduate pitcher Julie Graf '21 of the St. Olaf College softball team was selected to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America ® Second Team on Tuesday, marking the second-straight season she was honored among the top softball student-athletes in the country.

After being voted to the Academic All-America ® Third Team last spring, Graf made the step up to the second team following her final collegiate season, making her one of six repeat Academic All-America ® selections among the 33 honorees. Graf was one of six pitchers recognized across the three teams and is the fourth St. Olaf student-athlete to earn multiple Academic All-America ® honors in his/her career.

The lone Academic All-America ® honoree in program history, Graf graduated in May with a 3.57 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) while double-majoring in exercise science and psychology. She was named to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Academic All-Conference Team three times and collected a pair of CoSIDA Academic All-District ® honors. This spring, Graf was chosen as the female recipient of the Dave Hauck Award in recognition of her academic achievement, community service, and academic excellence and was St. Olaf's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year.

On the diamond, Graf was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) First Team All-American this spring and was one of 15 finalists for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III National Pitcher and Player of the Year. The All-America honor was the second of her career as she was a second-team selection as a first year in 2017. Graf also collected her fourth NFCA All-Midwest Region honor (first team), her fourth All-MIAC accolade, and her second MIAC Pitcher of the Year honor.

In 2021, Graf appeared in 31 games and started 25 times for the Oles, going 21-7 with a 1.28 ERA while throwing 20 complete games, five shutouts, and three no-hitters. In 169.0 innings of work, the fifth-year senior led NCAA Division III with 316 strikeouts, while ranking second in strikeouts per seven innings (13.1), and held opponents to a .140 batting average. Graf also ranked fourth nationally in complete games, fifth in hits allowed per seven innings (3.44), and sixth in wins.

Graf wrapped up her career as St. Olaf's all-time leader in strikeouts (1,236), strikeouts per seven innings (12.04), wins (80), appearances (137), starts (106), complete games (70), shutouts (22), and innings pitched (719.0). Her career mark of 12.04 strikeouts per seven innings ranks fifth in NCAA Division III history, while her total of 1,236 strikeouts is eighth.