STARKVILLE, Miss. - For the first time since 2001, Kent State had two players named to the NFCA All-Mideast Region First Team Thursday. Senior Kylie Reynolds (Greensboro, Ga./Morgan County) became the first Golden Flash to earn all-region honors in three seasons, while freshman outfielder Lauren Grimes (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) became just the second freshman in school history to earn a spot on the first team.

"I am really excited for both Kylie and Lauren," Head Coach Karen Linder said. "It is a testament to what they've accomplished throughout the entire season. "Kylie has worked hard for four years to earn this award and Lauren did a fantastic job as a freshman. It is an honor for our program to have two first team players and it shows the respect that our program has earned."

Hitting .374, Grimes logged the eighth highest batting average in school history. Her 11 home runs tied for the fourth most in a season at KSU. She also led the Golden Flashes in runs scored (45), slugging (.608) and stolen bases (8). Grimes also claimed All-MAC Second Team honors this season and earned MAC East Player of the Week honors three times. Her 45 runs scored were the second most in a season by a Kent State player and her 64 hits were the fifth most in a season.

Reynolds finished her career with 1,258 strikeouts, the 20th most in NCAA history and her 10.2 strikeouts per seven innings rank 13th in NCAA annals. Her 85 career wins are tied for the most in MAC history and her 30 shutouts are a Kent State record.

The Flashes' workhorse recently tossed her sixth and seventh shutouts of the season at the MAC Tournament, where she was named to the All-Tournament Team. She also became the first person to be named MAC Pitcher of the Year in three different seasons and the first player in KSU history to earn All-MAC First Team honors in four consecutive seasons.

In conference games, she led the MAC in wins (15-3), strikeouts (170) and opponent batting average (.179) and ranked second in ERA (1.68). Reynolds won six MAC East Pitcher of the Week honors this season and tossed two no-hitters.

The Golden Flashes captured their fifth straight MAC East Division title this season, earned a co-regular season championship and finished runner-up at the 2010 MAC Tournament.

All Mideast Region First Team

P Toni Paisley East Carolina University

P Kylie Reynolds Kent State University

C Mandy Lowman University of Alabama at Birmingham

1B Alex Emeterio University of North Carolina at Greensboro

2B Kara Nelson Illinois State University

3B Abby Olson Illinois State University

SS Kayla Orr University of Alabama at Birmingham

UT/P Erin O'Shea Elon University

UT/DP Jo Jo Medina University of South Florida

OF Lauren Grimes Kent State University

OF Marina Gusman-Brown East Carolina University

OF Tomeka Watson Elon University