Saint Francis University softball player Rachel Marsden (Erie, Pa./McDowell) became the fifth female athlete named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Female Team Student-Athlete of the Year in Saint Francis history. The Red Flash swept the honors after Peyton Blain (Harrisburg, Pa./Center Dauphin), from the Red Flash men's volleyball team, garnered the NEC Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year Award. It is the first time in NEC history one school has won both awards in the same academic year.

Marsden joins a prestigious list of female award winners for Saint Francis, including Beth Swink (women's basketball, 2004-05), Erika Jacobs (women's track and field, 2006-07), Sara Phelan (women's track and field, 2019-20), and Mekenzie Saban (softball, 2021-22).

"We are absolutely thrilled that Rachel and Peyton are recognized as the premier male and female student-athletes by the Northeast Conference," said Saint Francis Director of Athletics James Downer. "Their athletic accomplishments this past year obviously warranted consideration, but above all, their academic achievements and contributions to the community make them truly remarkable ambassadors to the institution. Rachel and Peyton are beyond deserving of this recognition, and as a department, we are immensely proud to have them represent the Red Flash."   

The criterion for selecting the winner is broken down into four parts: academic achievement (30 percent), athletic excellence (30 percent), service and leadership (30 percent), and a personal statement (10 percent). The selection committee comprises the NEC Commissioner and the Student-Athlete Athletic Committee (SAAC) chairs, athletic directors, faculty athletic Representatives, and Senior Women's Administrators. 

"This honor means a lot to me," said Marsden. "It's something that showcases who I am as a person in addition to the athlete that I am, and that recognition alone is something that I pride myself in. Being a well-rounded person in addition to an athlete is something that I always knew would serve me well in my time after my cleats come off, so I knew investing my time into my studies and serving the community would be advantageous for me and those around me."

Academics
Marsden, a 2023 Saint Francis graduate with a management degree, is working on her Master's of Business Administration in Loretto. She had a 3.91 GPA as an undergraduate and a 3.96 GPA in graduate school. A three-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team representative, Marsden was named the NEC Softball Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2023. She has also been named to the NEC Comissioner's Honor Roll (3.75+ GPA) and NEC Academic Honor Roll (3.20+ GPA) five times in her career. 

Athletics Performance
Marsden was named to the All-NEC first team as a pitcher and designated player in 2024 for the Red Flash softball team. She was also selected to the NEC All-Tournament team and the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region second team as a hitter this season after helping the Red Flash to the regular season and tournament titles. She posted a 19-6 record on the mound and ranked second in the NEC wins (19), third in ERA (1.89), third in slugging percentage (.612), third in home runs (9), fifth in strikeouts (130), seventh in innings pitched (152.0), seventh in RBIs (32), and sixth in total bases (85). Her totals for wins and ERA ranked 33rd and 52nd in NCAA Division I. She knocked in the game-winning run against Siena in the NCAA Softball Championships to propel Saint Francis to its second NCAA win in program history and the third-ever for the university. Marden received the NEC Pitcher of the Week award four times and the NEC Player of the Week once, along with two NFCA Top Performer selections. 

Marden helped Saint Francis to four NEC Tournament titles, four NEC regular season titles, and four NCAA Tournament appearances. Named the 2022 NEC Pitcher of the Year, Marden was a four-time All-NEC first-team selection as a pitcher and a three-time All-NEC performer as a designated player (first - 2023 and 2024; second - 2022). In addition, she earned NFCA All-Region first-team honors in 2022 and second-team recognition in 2023 and 2024. Ranked No. 8 two-way player in NCAA Division I in 2023, she finished her career second in program history in wins (68), third in innings pitched (656.1), third in strikeouts (560), fourth appearances (126), and fifth in home runs (32). 

Leadership/Community Service
Marsden was a four-year team captain and a member of SAAC for the last two years, including serving on the Executive Board in 2023-24. She has participated in the campus-wide community service Reaching Every Door (RED) Day for five years, has held clinics, and has coached softball in her hometown of Erie since 2017. 

What They Are Saying About Rachel Marsden:
Noreen Morris, Northeast Conference Commissioner
"I am marveled by Rachel's incredible accomplishments as a student-athlete at Saint Francis. She is a fierce competitor and a champion on the diamond. To perform at the highest level is an extremely difficult task as a Division I student-athlete, but to combine such great success in the classroom and rise as an outstanding leader is a tribute to Rachel's dedication and commitment. Rachel is an outstanding representative of the Northeast Conference's student-athletes, and I am proud to recognize her as the 2023-24 NEC Female Team Student-Athlete of the Year." 

Beth Krysiak, Saint Francis Softball Head Coach
"Rachel is an incredible athlete, but also a an incredible person. She was a good teammate who helped to raise the standards of the program around her. She put in the time and effort off the field to better our community and share her passion for sport. Rachel Marsden made an impact in Saint Francis Softball that will be felt for years to come."

John Krimmel, Saint Francis Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete & Leadership Development
"Rachel is a fierce competitor whether it is on the field or in the classroom, but in addition to that, she models our university's brand message of 'Become That Someone' through her actions every day. She has always been willing to help whenever needed and puts her team and the department ahead of herself. Rachel is an amazing athlete and an unbelievable student, but most importantly, Rachel is an outstanding human being. She is a leader in every sense of the word and has made SFU a better place because of her actions. I could not be prouder of Rachel for this well-deserved recognition, and I know she will continue to make an impact throughout her lifetime."

Saint Francis And The NEC Team Student-Athlete Of The Year
Marsden is the third Saint Francis female student-athlete from Western Pennsylvania to earn this recognition. Swink (Connellsvlle, Pa./Connellsville) and Saban (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) are also from the western part of the state. Blain also has a connection to one of the other former Red Flash winners. Blain also has a connection to one of the other former Red Flash winners. Blain is the second Saint Francis athlete to hail from Harrisburg, Pa., joining Phelan (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt).

The NEC Student-Athlete of the Year award began in 2002-03. In the first 12 years of the award, the NEC named one student-athlete (11 females, one male). Since 2013-14, a male and a female are honored yearly, but 2023-24 marks the first time the same school has received both honorees in those 10 years.

The five female winners are the second most in the NEC behind Wagner, with six female winners in its 22-year history.Wagner also leads the overall count with 10 (six female, four male), while Saint Francis is second with six. CCSU is third with four female winners (no males). Robert Morris is the only other school with multiple female winners (2), while St. Francis Brooklyn has three male winners.