Half Dozen Named All-Heart, One Claims Gold Glove
Oskaloosa–A total of seven members of the William Penn softball team were recognized for productive campaigns as the 2026 all-Heart of America Athletic Conference teams were announced Thursday.
Laila Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Elementary Education) was chosen for the 20-person first team, while Tori Smith (Jr., Olympia, Wash., Secondary Education) was one of 20 individuals named to the second squad.
The quartet of Breleigh Mengel (Fr., Jefferson, Wis., Nursing), Leah Conlon (Fr., Sioux City, Iowa, Exercise Science), Laila Gutierrez (Jr., Seminole, Texas, Business Management), and Mckenna Vassar (Fr., Rochester, Wash., Business Management) were four of the 22 players who garnered honorable-mention team status.
The award is the third for Laila Smith, who was also on the top team last year. Tori Smith is now a two-time award recipient (honorable mention in 2025), while Mengel, Conlon, Gutierrez, and Vassar are all first-time winners.
The crew helped the Statesmen to a 27-21 record this spring (18-10 Heart). WPU was the No. 5 seed for this week’s Heart Championship.
Laila Smith concluded her year with a .380 batting average (57-for-150) that included 13 doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs. She tallied 55 RBIs and scored 28 times, while posting a .733 slugging percentage and a .436 on-base clip that featured 16 walks and two hit-by-pitches.
The junior, who was chosen as a catcher, also stole four bases. She recorded 17 multi-hit games and had a season-best three hits on five occasions.
Tori Smith, who earned her way on the second team as an at-large pick, was outstanding as a pitcher and a hitter. In the circle, the junior was 13-10 with a 3.14 Earned Run Average. She struck out 68 batters in 147 innings of work. Her pitching season included 31 appearances, 15 complete games, five shutouts, and one save.
Her campaign, which twice featured a season-best six strikeouts, was headlined by a no-hitter against Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on February 28.
In the hitter’s box, Tori Smith owned a .293 clip (41-for-140) with 12 doubles, nine home runs, 34 RBIs, and 16 runs scored. She had a .571 slugging percentage and a .342 on-base mark (10 walks, two hit-by-pitches.) The stealer of two bases, the junior posted eight multi-hit performances with a high of four versus Park on April 3.
Mengel’s .342 batting average (38-for-111) featured four doubles and one home run, along with nine RBIs and nine runs scored. She owned a .405 slugging clip and a .403 on-base mark with five walks and seven hit-by-pitches. The owner of 11 multi-hit outings, the freshman infielder had a trio of three-hit games in 2026.
Boasting a .361 batting average this spring (56-for-155), Conlon, who was picked as an infielder, recorded six doubles, two triples, and one home run, while driving in 36 runs and scoring 17 times. The freshman had a .445 slugging percentage and a .383 on-base mark with six walks. She also stole six bases.
Conlon’s 19 multi-hit games were highlighted by four base knocks against Mount Mercy on April 25.
Gutierrez had 54 hits in 159 at-bats for a .340 batting clip. Her year included 11 doubles, one triple, 25 RBIs, 43 runs scored, a .421 slugging percentage, and a .398 on-base clip (14 walks, two hit-by-pitches).
The junior outfielder stole 21 bases (high of three versus Culver-Stockton on March 13) and notched 15 multi-hit showings with three on six occasions.
Vassar produced a .287 hitter’s clip (27-for-94) with one triple, while scoring 15 times and knocking in eight runs. The outfielder had a .309 slugging percentage and .327 on-base percentage (six walks), while stealing six bases. All three of her multi-hit outings featured two base knocks.
Eva Viox (So., Columbia, Mo., Exercise Science) was also selected to the Heart’s Gold Glove team as a third baseman. The sophomore committed just three errors in 133 chances at the ‘hot corner’ for a .977 fielding percentage. She tallied 58 putouts and 72 assists on the season.
Allison Leigraf of Missouri Baptist was named Heart Player of the Year, while her coach Ted Leigraf garnered Coach of the Year honors.
Benedictine’s Bailey Selvage was tabbed as Pitcher of the Year, while the Newcomer of the Year award went to Elle Nelsen (Grand View) and the Freshman of the Year accolade was given to Emma King (Central Methodist).
