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CITY, ND – (NewsDakota.com) Valley City State University seniors Cejay Hilhorst and Katie Cameron both received different NAIA softball All American honors last week.

A native of Killarney, Manitoba, Hilhorst was named to the official NAIA All-America 2nd Team.

Cameron, a native of Alameda, Saskatchewan, was named a NAIA 2nd Team All American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).

Both received the honors after record-setting seasons that helped the Vikings to a school-record 40 wins this year.

Hilhorst is one of just 60 athletes nationwide to earn the official NAIA All American honors. The NAIA names 20 athletes to the First Team, 20 to the Second Team, and 20 more receive honorable mention status.

Hilhorst anchored third base for the Vikings this season. She batted .463 and set a new school record with 58 RBIs, breaking the old mark of 50 set by Amanda Carter in 2010. She hit 17 doubles and 13 home runs, scored 44 runs and led the team with a .817 slugging percentage. She was named First Team All Conference for the third year in a row. Hilhorst was also named to the NFCA All-Region First Team, and ranked Top 35 in the nation in 11 offensive categories.

Cameron is one of just 33 athletes nationwide named to the NFCA NAIA All-America teams. Only players from schools whose head coaches are NFCA members are eligible for the honor. 

Cameron led the Vikings with a .480 batting average this season and played stellar defense at second base. She set a new VCSU record with 82 hits, breaking the old mark of 73 set by Cyndi Figol in 2010. Cameron hit 14 doubles, scored 55 runs and drove in 55 runs. She also went 41-for-43 on stolen base attempts. Defensively, Cameron committed just three errors in 143 chances for a .979 fielding percentage. Cameron ranked Top 25 in the nation in 11 offensive categories.

This was the third consecutive season that Cameron was named First Team All Conference. She was also named to the NFCA All-Region First Team.

Hilhorst and Cameron are just the third and fourth All Americans in Viking softball history, and the first since pitcher Karalea Morris earned the honor in 2006. Brenda (Hubrig) Radloff also was named All American as an outfielder in 1982.

Valley City State (40-13 overall record) set a new school record with 40 wins this season, which is just one of 13 team or individual school records they broke this year. VCSU finished second in the NSAA Tournament and was the second team left out of the NAIA National Tournament.