Desert Speed School alumni and collegiate softball players Bela Goerke (Sahuaro HS) and Cassie Castaneda (Sabino HS) recently earned academic recognition for their performance in the classroom. Goerke, a catcher, was named Academic All-District following her season with the University of South Dakota.
Goerke posted 3.62 grade-point average as a pre-nursing major. She garnered all-Summit honorable mention accolades this season. She was one of the Coyotes’ top hitters all season and defensively threw out three of eight runners trying to steal in Summit play with one pickoff.
Castaneda, also a catcher, was named Summit League All-Academic team following the season for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
Another honor rolled in for North Dakota catcher Cassie Castaneda as she collected her first Summit League All-Academic Team honor. She previously collected First Team All Summit League honors after hitting .325 with five home runs and was named Defensive Player of the Year in the conference in 2023.
In the classroom, she held a 4.0 GPA in the spring after a 3.83 in the fall.
