The Indian Hills Athletic Department has announced its Hy-Vee Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Month for the Month of April. Sophomore Julia Kwakernaak (__) of the Indian Hills Softball team and sophomore Raul Torres (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Leadership Christian Academy) have been honored.
Kwakernaak starred on the diamond for the Warriors, leading the program into postseason competition. The returning National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American from a year ago, Kwakernaak batted a remarkable .451 (32-71) throughout the month with 10 home runs and 28 RBI.
For her efforts, Kwakernaak was recognized as the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) DI Softball Athlete of the Week for the week of April 22-28.
As a business major, Kwakernaak is a three-time member of the ICCAC Academic All-Region First-Team and was named to the NJCAA All-Academic Second-Team as a freshman last year.
Kwakernaak was recently selected to the 2024 NJCAA All-Region 11 First-Team for her efforts on the field for the second consecutive year.
Torres continued to serve as the Warriors' offensive and defensive catalyst, leading the program both at the plate and from the shortstop position. The four-time ICCAC DI Baseball Athlete of the Week, Torres batted .347 throughout the month, including nine extra base hits while driving in 20 runs.
In the field, Torres owns a .959 fielding percentage while turning 29 double plays this year, 11th most in the nation.
The month of April saw Torres surpass both the 100 hit and 100 run career milestones. The sophomore is one of just three players over the last 10 seasons to hit those numbers while driving in 90 career runs for the Warriors.
As a business major, Torres has been named to the ICCAC Academic All-Region team three times throughout his Indian Hills career.
Each month, with the support of the local Ottumwa Hy-Vee, the Indian Hills Athletic Department selects a male and female student-athlete of the month based on their academic and athletic performances throughout the previous month. Fans can catch interviews of each student-athlete from Ottumwa's South Hy-Vee on the GoHillsTV Facebook Page.
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