Mara Palombaro and Kristen Gromes Named Academic All-OAC Softball

AUSTINTOWN, Ohio -- Mount Union senior Mara Palombaro (Boardman/Cardinal Mooney) and sophomore Kristen Gromes (Navarre/Fairless) have been selected Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference Softball by the the conference's 10 faculty athletics representatives.

Palombaro is a three-time Academic All-OAC selection who recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science with a 3.78 grade point average.  On the field, Palombaro started all 37 games and led the Purple Raiders with 24 RBI, 4 home runs while she was fourth on the team with a .324 batting average.  Palombaro played in 153 games games over the last four seasons, starting 149 of them, with a career .318 batting average with 88 RBI, 24 doubles and 13 home runs.  She was an All-OAC Second Team selection in 2008.

Gromes maintains a 3.84 grade point average as an engineering major and she also earned All-OAC First Team honors and Capital One Academic All-District IV Second Team honors.  She played in all 37 games and she was second in the team in batting average (.337), hits (34), RBI (15) and home runs (1) along with a team-best seven doubles.  She also lettered this past fall as a member of the Mount Union volleyball team.

In order to be selected Academic All-OAC, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key reserve.

Mount Union finished the season 20-17 overall, fourth in the OAC at 11-7 and fell in the consolation finals of the OAC Tournament.