Five student-athletes on the 2026 Butler softball team – Makena Alexander, Hailey Conger, Cate Lehner, Katie Petran, and Kieli Ryan– have been recognized by College Sports Communicators as Academic All-District®.  
 
The 2026 Academic All-District® Softball Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First, second, and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
 
Alexander, from Frankton, Ind., earned All-BIG EAST First Team and NFCA All-Region First Team accolades this season. She led the BIG EAST and ranked nationally in multiple categories: 1.28 RBI/game (20^th in the NCAA), a .547 on-base percentage (29th), an .867 slugging percentage (35th), and a .430 batting average (53rd). Her 14 home runs were fourth in the conference and matched Butler's single-season record, while her 59 total RBI's smashed the program's previous single-season record of 45. The junior is currently majoring in Health Sciences
 
Conger, from Gurnee, Ill., earned All-BIG EAST First Team and NFCA All-Region Third Team honors in 2026. She ranked among the BIG EAST and national leaders in multiple categories: first in the BIG EAST and 26^th nationally with 1.20 runs/game, second/35th with a .536 on-base percentage, and second/94th with a .410 batting average. Her 55 runs scored this season broke Butler's single-season record, which was previously 42. Conger recently graduated with degrees in Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences and Psychology.
 
Lehner, from Indianapolis, Ind., was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection for the third-consecutive season. She broke the BIG EAST career-hits record this season when she recorded her 131^st hit in conference play on April 24^th at DePaul. She also broke Butler career records with 251 hits and 139 runs scored. The senior led the BIG EAST and ranked 26^th nationally this season with 27 stolen bases, and her 63 hits led the Bulldogs. Lehner recently graduated with a degree in Speech, Hearing and Language Sciences.
 
Petran, from Chillicothe, Ill., made 20 appearances in the circle for Butler with 16 starts. She produced eight wins on the season with five complete-game victories and two shutouts. She produced 51 strikeouts along with a .327 average for batters faced. The junior is currently majoring in Criminology and Psychology.
 
Ryan, from Ingals, Ind., started 44 games at catcher for the Bulldogs. Behind the dish, she was fourth in the BIG EAST with nine runners caught stealing. In the batter's box, her 29 hits included nine doubles. The graduate student, who is working on a master's degree in accounting, also had one home run and tallied 24 RBIs.