Release courtesy of Franklin & Marshall Athletic Communications
LANCASTER, Pa. – Leaving an incredible legacy both on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the community, recent softball graduate Jamie Belfer has been named a first-team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The Academic All-America awards honor students who demonstrate outstanding skill and achievement both on the field and in the classroom. Becoming the first All-American of any kind in the history of Franklin & Marshall's softball team is just one more example of the lasting legacy that Belfer has made on the program.
For greater perspective on this award, Franklin & Marshall has a long and storied history of both academic and athletic success. However, Belfer becomes just the eighth student-athlete in that storied history to be named a first-team Academic All-American. She is the first to accomplish that feat since Keith Hamilton (men's cross country) and Mark Rowand (football) both joined this prestigious group following their 2001 seasons. Belfer is just the third female student-athlete at F&M to receive first-team recognition, joining Jen Power '97 (volleyball) and Hayley Rintel '00 (women's soccer). Belfer is now the 42nd student-athlete at Franklin & Marshall to earn Academic All-America honors as a member of either the first, second, or third team.
Belfer's career was record-breaking in so many ways on the field as she became one of two players this season who were named first-team All-Region V honorees – the first in program history. She broke the school record for runs (41) and hits (59), finishing her career ranked second in career batting average (.407), third in fielding percentage (.985), and ninth in on-base percentage (.430), runs (76), hits (118), and stolen bases (37). All of that came despite two COVID-shortened seasons. She additionally set the F&M record for both hits and runs scored during a single game throughout her career.
The first Centennial Conference Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year at Franklin & Marshall, Belfer was additionally named the CC's Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year last season and would have won the overall award from the conference had it been presented. She was a three-time CC Player of the Week during her career, finishing as a first-team All-CC pick this season after honorable mention accolades as a junior. As a junior, she led all CC players in batting average (.552), on-base percentage (.594), and stolen bases (7).
This academic accolade adds to a laundry list of honors as Belfer graduates with a perfect GPA from the College. She was recently recognized with Franklin & Marshall's John A. Fry Delphic Society Award for excellence in athletics, community, service, and academics. A public health major with a minor in applied mathematics, Belfer is also a four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Scholar Athlete, three-time selection to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll, and has been inducted into F&M's Phi Beta Kappa Academic and Pi Mu Epsilon's Math Honor Societies.
As incredible of a talent as she was on the field and in the classroom, Belfer was also a leader in the local community. Chairing the softball team's Community Engagement Committee, those efforts were recognized by F&M's Student Athlete Leadership Council (SALC) with the entire softball team receiving the SALC Sportsmanship Award. During the past four years, the softball team has donated gently used equipment to players in the Dominican Republic, raised funds for single mothers in transitional housing, and organized a softball clinic with Gallaudet this spring for hearing-impaired players.
Belfer was also the Secretary for Rotaract, a community service club at Franklin & Marshall, where she helped lead a campus-wide Walk-A-Thon, a high school Q&A session about the College, and raised funds for COVID relief. Belfer additionally read to children in local Lancaster school districts virtually during the past two years, while serving as a calculus tutor, and formerly as the Sports Editor for The College Reporter.
After earning her degree from Franklin & Marshall this spring, Belfer will now pursue a career in public health field.