RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – On Wednesday, the Great American Conference announced its annual all-conference selections and superlative award winners for the 2026 softball season at the pre-championship tournament awards ceremony in Bentonville, Arkansas.
 
In that announcement, Arkansas Tech garnered a pair of "of the Year" awards as head coach Jordon Jones was named GAC Coach of the Year and Aubree Jones was named GAC Freshman of the Year. A. Jones also was named Second Team All-GAC as an outfielder.
 
In addition to those superlative awards, the Golden Suns had four other players earn All-GAC honors. Garnering First Team All-GAC acclaim were the three main pitchers from their staff in sophomore Ainslee Moore, junior Emily Richarde and sophomore Aly White. Junior Anna Winkfield was a Second Team All-GAC selection in the outfield to join A. Jones.
 
 
Off the field, the Golden Suns had 11 players make the GAC Academic Honor Roll. Earning the academic honor were: Brinly Bancroft, Brooke Beyer, Riley Drake, Victoria Hughes, Sharlee Jackson, Destiney Madewell, Emily Richarde, Sophia Wahrmund, Addy Ward, Caroline Wilhelm and Anna Winkfield.
 
The Golden Suns are set to open the 2026 GAC Softball Championship Tournament as the No. 1-seed and will take on No. 8-seed Ouachita Baptist in the first game on Thursday, May 7. First-pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. from the Wolverine Athletic Complex in Bentonville.