University of Massachusets Athletics
Cross And Holtz Receive NCAA Scholarships
July 01, 2003 | Softball
July 1, 2003
INDIANAPOLIS - University of Massachusetts softball seniors Brandi Cross (Diamond Bar, Calif.) and Kaila Holtz (North Vancouver, British Columbia) are among the 58 recipients of postgraduate scholarships handed out by the NCAA today. The NCAA awarded a total of $6,900 each to 29 men and 29 women who participated in spring sports during the recently completed academic year. The NCAA hands out 174 postgraduate scholarships annually.
Cross, who was named the 2003 Verizon Academic All-American of the Year for softball, batted .318 and set a UMass single-season record with 11 home runs. She also had seven doubles, drove in 37 runs, scored 30 runs and posted a .583 slugging percentage in earning All-Conference honors at first base. In addition, she garnered a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-Championship team for helping the Minutewomen to their ninth straight Atlantic 10 title.
Off the field, the Atlantic 10 Softball Student-Athlete of the Year graduated in May with a 3.889 grade point average (GPA) as a psychology major, while receiving the department's Millstone Scholarship. For her career, she earned a 4.0 in-major GPA. She was also a 2003 first team Academic All-America and a three-time Verizon Academic All-District first team selection. She is a three-time Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference team member and has been a member of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's and UMass Athletic Director honor roll each semester. Cross was one of four student-athletes to receive an A-10 postgraduate scholarship and will enroll at Boston College to pursue a Master's in education this fall.
Her teammate, Holtz, earned first team Academic All-America honors after being named the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year for the second season in a row. She kept a 3.82 GPA as an exercise science major. In 2003, Holtz was 23-9 with a conference-low 1.09 ERA. She recorded 27 complete games, 10 solo shutouts, two combined shutouts, and two no-hitters that included a perfect game. Holtz allowed 134 hits and walked just 33 while fanning 200 batters in 205.2 innings. She yielded 32 earned runs and held opponents to a mere .180 batting average. At the plate, Holtz hit .284. She collected 40 hits, including eight doubles and five home runs. Two of her four-baggers were grand slams. Holtz drove in 30 runs and scored 10 times. She also walked on 15 occasions and maintained a .447 slugging percentage. Holtz is a member of the Golden Key Honors Society and will pursue her postgraduate degree in exercise science at UMass this fall.
To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall GPA of 3.200 or its equivalent and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete must also intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.