Emory University seniors Taylor Forte (Pleasantville, NY) and Brittany File (Carmel, CA) were recognized for their excellence in the classroom and on the field with their selections to the 2017 Academic All-America Division III Softball Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It is the second straight year that both players have captured Academic All-America acclaim.

Forte, a biology and mathematics double major with a GPA of 3.69, was named to the first team this spring after earning third-team distinction a year ago.  Forte enjoyed a banner campaign, starting all 38 Emory contests in left field and leading the University Athletic Association in batting average with a .436 effort, good for 15^th place on the program's seasonal ladder.  Named to the All-UAA First Team, Forte also topped the conference and stood 24^th in the D-III ranks with a .538 on-base percentage, the third-highest season mark in school annals.  She ranked as the team leader in a host of other categories including hits (51), walks (22) and runs scored (32). Forte closed out her four-year run as an Eagle 11^th all-time on the school's batting average list (.376), fifth in on-base percentage (.480), third in walks (73) and 14^th in doubles (28).  Recognized as 2017 Emory 100 Senior Honorary, Forte is the sixth Emory player to earn first-team honors and the first since Megan Light, Claire Bailey and Amanda Kardys, all of whom were chosen in 2014.

File followed her third-team selection last season with a second-team nod in 2017.  A double major in neuroscience and behavioral biology and philosophy with a GPA of 3.71, File was a mainstay among the Emory pitching corps, leading the team with a 13-4 record with her victory total second among UAA hurlers. She saw action in a total of 26 games (13 starts) and registered an earned-run average of 1.81 over 116 1/3 innings. She struck out a total of 157 batters, the sixth-highest seasonal effort in program history, and her average of 9.45 strikeouts per seven innings led the conference while ranking 10^th in the Division III ranks.  She fanned 10 or more opposing batters on four occasions during the year including a season-high 14 during a no-hit performance vs. Averett University.  During her four years with the program, File whiffed 10 or more opponents in 24 games and closed out her career as the school's all-time leader in strikeouts (817) and victories (76).

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at her/his current institution.