CANTON, Ga. - Penn State Harrisburg softball standout Madelyn Lehigh has been named the Division III Commissioners Association (D3CA) Region IV Female Student-Athlete of the Year, as announced by the organization on Wednesday afternoon.


The D3CA Regional Student-Athlete of the Year Awards, now in their fourth year, recognize graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence in athletics, academics, leadership and service throughout their collegiate careers. Lehigh is one of 20 male and female honorees to earn this year's prestigious awards and she will advance to the national ballot for the D3CA Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award, which will be announced next month.


Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society, serves as the presenting sponsor of the D3CA awards.


"Chi Alpha Sigma is honored to partner with the D3CA in recognizing these incredible student-athletes," said Kellen Wells-Mangold, Executive Director of Chi Alpha Sigma. "Our mission to celebrate excellence in both academics and athletics perfectly aligns with this initiative. These recipients exemplify the highest ideals of collegiate athletics and leadership."


Lehigh's latest accolade comes after she was chosen as a conference nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award following being named the 2025 United East Female Senior Athlete of the Year. The most-decorated player in program history, Lehigh completed her illustrious career as the NCAA active leader in triples (31) across all three divisions. Earlier this spring, the senior became the first player in program history to reach the 200-hit mark before finishing her career ranked eighth among active Division III players in runs (175), ninth in hits (236) and 16th in total bases (358). In 2024, the shortstop won a pair of NCAA Statistical Championships in the categories of triples per game (.33) and triples (14), was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region IV Third Team and was tabbed the United East Player of the Year. In 2023, the Harrisburg, Pa. native secured NFCA All-Region Second Team honors following the most prolific offensive season in program history after being named the 2022 United East Rookie of the Year thanks to a breakout freshman campaign. A four-time United East All-Conference honoree that included three first-team plaudits, Lehigh ended her career slashing an outstanding .468/.534/.710 with a 1.244 OPS and finished as the program's all-time leader in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, slugging percentage, hits, runs, RBIs (125), walks (71) and triples.


Lehigh has also been strong in the classroom throughout her career. She is the first Penn State Harrisburg student-athlete to earn three College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District accolades thanks to her combination of athletic and academic prowess. She is a two-time Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society inductee and she's garnered four straight conference all-academic awards. She also bolstered her academic experience with internships at nearby Focused Physical Development and RAK Baseball. The Human Development and Family Studies major recently graduated in May with a 3.69 cumulative GPA. For her efforts, Lehigh was named the United East Softball Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year in June.


Serving as Penn State Harrisburg's Student-Athlete Leadership Council Treasurer (SALC) during the 2024-25 campaign, Lehigh helped facilitate the school's canned food drive that collected items for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and Penn State Harrisburg's on-campus food pantry. She's also had a hand in Penn State Harrisburg's involvement with National Read Across America Day at Middletown Area elementary schools. Outside of campus, she's involved herself with local communities by volunteering with military families at the nearby Indiantown Gap National Cemetery as part of the Wreaths Across America program, working with students at Central Dauphin's annual Ready For School Fall Festival and serving as a student-athlete mentor with Polar Elite Softball. While starring at Bishop McDevitt High School, Lehigh was also named a Semper Fidelis All-American Finalist which would have allowed her to participate in an immersive Marine Corps experience, including a tour of the nation's capital and interaction with the nation's top civic, athletic and military leaders before the program was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 


Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube using the handle @pshbgathletics.