PHILADELPHIA - La Salle's Alicia Aughton was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team following a stellar junior season on the softball field. She is the lone Division I representative on the team of 11 area student-athletes voted on by the sports information directors at the 28 NCAA Division I, II and III schools in the Philadelphia metro area.

Aughton joins Performer of the Year Becca Reinhart (Neumann) on the team along Danielle Grayson (Neumann); Widener's Alie Alkins; Rowan's Jennifer Arcella, Krysti Maronski and Shilah Snead; Haverford's Jen DiCandilo; Gwynedd-Mercy's Stephanie Farrar; Immaculata's Megan Fitzgerald; and Holy Family's Danielle McDevitt.

Aughton earns the recognition on the heels of being named to both the Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team and Second Team after leading the Explorers to their first Atlantic 10 Tournament in 17 years. She earned First Team honors as a designated player, while earning Second Team pitching honors. She set new career highs for batting average (.309), home runs (7), and RBIs (25). She also turned it up in conference play, batting .429 (18-for-42) with six of her homers and 17 of her RBIs coming against A-10 opponents.
 
Aughton also set new career bests in wins (11), earned run average (2.77), and opponents average against (.232).  She led the entire conference in both earned run average and opponents average against nearly wire-to-wire, before relinquishing the lead during the final weekend of the regular season.

The academic standout sports a 3.69 GPA in Education & Mathematics, and was named to the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference team as well this season.

To qualify for consideration for Academic All-Area status, student-athletes must possess at least a 3.20 GPA and be a starter or significant reserve.