NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — George Washington graduate student Jenna Cone was named the Atlantic 10 Softball Player of the Year, while her junior teammate Sierra Lange was selected as A-10 Pitcher of the Year in the league's annual softball awards, which were released Thursday. Sophomore Devon Miller of Fordham was named the A-10 Rookie of the Year and Shane Winkler from GW was selected as Coach of the Year.

The Atlantic 10 announced the four major awards along with the All-Conference, All-Rookie and All-Academic teams ahead of the start of the 2020-21 A-10 Softball Championship, which begins Thursday at SJU Softball Field in Merion Station, Pa. The major awards, All-Conference Teams and All-Rookie Team were voted on by the A-10’s head softball coaches. The All-Academic team was selected by the softball media relations directors.

Cone, a native of Trabuco Canyon, Calif., wins her second consecutive A-10 Player of the Year trophy. She plays third base for GW, and leads the A-10 with 17 home runs, 113 total bases and a .934 slugging percentage. She also recorded 45 RBI and 39 runs scores, collecting five multi-home run games, including program's first three-homer game on March 21 at George Mason. The 2017 A-10 Rookie of the Year, Cone was also named to the All-Conference First Team and the All-Academic Team.
 
Lange, a right-hander from Plano, Texas, ranks 36^th nationally and led the A-10 with 170 strikeouts and she leads the A-10 with 17 wins. She posted a career-best 1.83 ERA in 141 2/3 innings pitched and had a 12-1 record and a 1.41 ERA in league play. She had 17 complete games with five shutouts and threw her first career no-hitter on April 17. Lange also was named to the All-Conference First Team and the All-Academic Team.
 
A right-handed pitcher from Chadds Ford, Pa., Miller leads the A-10 in ERA (1.45), opposing batting average (.129) and shutouts (6). She ranks second in strikeouts behind Lange with 149 and has 13 wins this season. The NFCA National Pitcher of the Week selection, Miller has thrown two perfect games and three no-hitters this season. She is also a member of the All-Rookie Team.
 
Winkler guided GW to a 33-8 overall record, a 23-1 league record and its first A-10 regular season title in 2021. The Kentland, Ind., native has 348 career wins, with an 87-40 (.685) record at GW. The Colonials enter the A-10 Championship as winners of 11 straight, and 27 of the last 29 games.
 
Joining Cone (3B), Lange (P) and Miller (P) on the All-Conference First Team are Dayton's Alyssa Cacini (2B); Jessica Linquist (C) and Alessandra Ponce (DP) of George Washington; Caela Abadie (1B), Molly Kapala (SS), and Kirstin Cox (OF) from Saint Joseph's; and Gabbie Kowalik (OF) and Kat Lane (OF) of Saint Louis.
 
The All-Conference Second Team consists of Megan Ward (SS) and Addy Bullis (P) of Dayton; Sarah Taffet (2B) and Brianna Pinto (OF) of Fordham; Rachel Warrens (3B) from George Mason; Alexa Williams (OF) and Faith Weber (P) of George Washington; UMass' Caroline Videtto (OF); Sarah Ostaszewski (C) and Madison Fife (DP) of Saint Joseph's; and Sadie Wise (1B) of Saint Louis.
 
Bullis, Ward, Miller, Warrens, Williams, and Fife are all part of the All-Rookie Team, as are Bella Ayala and Bailey Enoch of Fordham, GW's Maggie Greco, Jules Shields of UMass and Grace Walker from St. Bonaventure.
 
The All-Academic team is made up of Madie Aughinbaugh for Fordham, plus Cone, Linquist, Lange, Weber, Videtto, Cox, Kapala, Lane and Wise.
 
The 2021 Atlantic 10 Softball Championship begins Friday with the first round at noon ET/11:00 am CT. The double-elimination championship will conclude on Saturday with the A-10 Championship Final. Ever game of the A-10 championship will be streamed live on ESPN+.