LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- Bethany Lutheran's Olivia Sanborn was named one of the 10 finalists for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year award.
The finalists, one from each of the NCAA’s 10 regions, have been selected by the Association’s Division III All-America Committee for the 2026 NFCA Division III Freshman of the Year award.
Tufts’ Paige Murphy (Region I), Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Abby Merchant (Region II), Nazareth’s Alexis Brown (Region III), Stockton’s Camryn Harry (Region IV), Muhlenberg’s Josie Hoffacker (Region V), Piedmont’s Anslee Saunchegraw (Region VI), Heidelberg’s Cara Meyer (Region VII), Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Kiran Sanford (Region VIII), Bethany Lutheran’s Olivia Sanborn (Region IX) and East Texas Baptist’s Emma Boren (Region X) are the 10.
The award annually honors the outstanding athletic achievement of freshmen in NCAA Division III. The regional finalists and the winner are chosen by the NFCA Division III All-America Committee, which includes one representative for each of the 10 regions. To be eligible, student-athletes must come from an NFCA-member institution.
Virginia schools Christopher Newport and Virginia Wesleyan are the only programs to win Freshman of the Year twice. Pitchers Kandis Kresinske (2016) and Hanna Hull (2017) earned the first two honors for the Marlins, while third baseman Kaitlyn Hasty (2019) and pitcher Jamie Martin (2022) got the nod three years apart for the Captains. This year’s winner will be announced May 26 at NFCA.org and on the Association’s social media accounts.
Sanborn was named the UMAC's Player of the Year and the Rookie of the Year this season. Against conference opponents, she hit .596 with 34 hits, one double, three triples, one homerun with 13 RBI. Sanborn added a league-best 25 stolen bases.
She was also an NFCA First-team All-Region selection.