NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Albertus Magnus College head softball coach Lou Bunosso was named Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Coach of the Year and Annabelle Jabs (East Hartland, Conn.), Karla Carangelo (Cheshire, Conn.), Mikaela Schwippert (Whippany, N.J.) and Reilly Austin (Cumberland, R.I.) were all named to the All-GNAC First Team as the conference unveiled its major award winners and all-conference teams for the 2026 season. Megan Cross (North Haven, Conn.) was named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

The four All-GNAC First Team selections were the most of any GNAC team this season and the most in a season in program history.

Bunosso led the team to a 27-18 overall record and 14-4 in the GNAC, taking the South Division regular season title and winning the program's second GNAC Championship as the Falcons defeated Simmons, 10-1 in a deciding game three on Sunday. The win qualified the Falcons for their first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

It is the second straight season Bunosso led the Falcons to 27 wins, which is tied for the third most wins in a season in program history.

Bunosso is the second coach in program history to win GNAC Coach of the Year as Ed Emielita took home the honor in 2015.

Jabs makes her second appearance on the All-GNAC team and makes her first appearance on the first team. In a career season for Jabs, she went 15-9 with a 1.99 ERA in 141 innings while striking out 139 batters. She ranked second in the GNAC in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. She also had nine complete games, including three shutouts on the season. She was also named the GNAC Tournament MVP.

Her most notable shutout came in a six-inning no-hit performance in an 8-0 win over Lasell on March 29th. After the first batter reached base, she retired the final 18 batters enroute to the win. In a seven-inning complete game against Regis the day prior in a 5-0 win, she struck out 11 batters in a two-hit performance. She also struck out a career-high 14 batters in an eight-inning complete game 2-1 win over Mitchell on April 20th.

Carangelo, who was last season's GNAC Rookie of the Year and a member of the All-GNAC Second Team had another outstanding season at the dish. On the season she hit .367 at the plate with a GNAC-leading seven home runs and 51 RBI. She led the team in hits (55) - which also ranked her second in the GNAC - including 12 doubles, and a team-high four triples. She had 16 multi-hit games on the season, including one four-hit game and six three-hit games. Carangelo was also named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team.

In a win over John Jay on March 20th, she went 2-for-4 with two home runs and drove in four runs. Just nine days later, she went 3-for-4 with two more home runs, scoring three runs and driving in four. During a win over Plymouth State on March 25th, she went 2-for-3, including a grand slam, and drove in five runs on the day.

During the GNAC tournament against Rivier, she also notched her 100th career hit.

Schwippert makes her first appearance on the All-GNAC team. She finished the season batting .367 with 46 hits, 32 runs, 29 RBI and a home run. She also had 11 doubles and three triples on the season. She was an on-base machine, leading the GNAC in walks with 39, which was 12 more than the next closest player. Her .500 on-base percentage ranked her third in the conference. Schwippert was also named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team.

Schwippert had 14 multi-hit games on the season, including three games of three hits. During a 20-3 win over Elms College on April 4th, she went 3-for-3, including two doubles and a triple while driving in four runs and scoring three. She also went 2-for-4 with two walks, and scored four runs and drove in two runs in a 14-4 win over John Jay on March 20th.

Austin made her first appearance on the All-GNAC team in her inaugural season with the Falcons. On the year, she batted .355  with 49 hits, including 11 doubles and two homers to go with 35 RBI and 38 runs. Her runs and RBI both ranked her fourth in the GNAC. She also ranked third in the GNAC in walks. She had 14 multi-hit games on the season, including two three-hit games. 

In a 9-7 win over Lasell on March 29th, she went 3-for-4, including a double and a home run and driving in two runs. She went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and three RBI in the GNAC Pod B final win over Rivier on May 3rd. Austin also went 2-for-2, including a home run with three runs and two RBI in a 21-3 win over Colby-Sawyer on April 11th.

Cross was named to the All-Sportsmanship team as she had a .533 on-base percentage and drove in four runs on the season.

MAJOR AWARDS

Coach of the Year: Lou Bunosso, Albertus Magnus

Player of the Year: Madison DeCota, Norwich

Pitcher of the Year: Piper Kinney, Simmons

Rookie of the Year: Gracie Browne, USJ

Institutional Sportsmanship: Elms College

ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

P - Piper Kinney, Simmons
P - Annabelle Jabs, Albertus Magnus
C - Emma Lopez, New England College
1B - Reilly Austin, Albertus Magnus
2B - Mikaela Schwippert, Albertus Magnus
3B - Kryslin Stearns, SJC (Me.)
SS - Madison DeCota, Norwich
OF - Karla Carangelo, Albertus Magnus
OF - Lorynes Suriel, USJ
OF - Olivia Couto, Rivier
DP - Mekayla Poisson, Emmanuel
UTIL - Abigail Fortin, Lasell

ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM

P - Olivia DeCicco, Mitchell
P - Hailey Berube, Rivier*
C - Emery Kreidel-Reimer, Simmons
1B - Abigail Grimes, New England College
2B - Jennifer Antonowicz, USJ

3B - Sydnee Ramos, Dean
SS - Kylee Caetano, Rivier
OF - Zoe Soule, Simmons                                                                                                  
OF - Zoe Battersby, Mitchell
OF - Sadie Tirrell, SJC
DP - Chantelle Bouchard, SJC
UTIL - Piper Kinney, Simmons

ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM

P - Kate Julian, Regis*
P - Abigail Fortin, Lasell
C - Sadie Girgasky, USJ
1B - Kaylee Scott, Colby-Sawyer
2B - Emma Politz, Rivier
3B - Mel Rees, Regis
SS - Mia Fernandes, Emmanuel
OF - Teagan Buckley, Simmons
OF - Grace Giesler, New England College
OF - Rachel Brewer-Karimi, USJ
DP - Liv Harnish, Rivier
UTIL - Hayley Rapgalia, Rivier

*Tiebreaker was separated by a fourth-place vote (see attached screenshot)

ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM

Megan Cross, Albertus Magnus

Molly Smith, Colby-Sawyer

Ashley Lester, Dean

Amanda Raymond, Elms

Olivia DeMacedo, Emmanuel

Brianna Francis, Lasell

Kaylee Drago, Mitchell

Wren Anhalt, New England College

Grace Richardson, Norwich

Francesca Licata, Regis

Kyleigh Guerette, Rivier

Sadie Tirrell, Saint Joseph's (Maine)

Lauren Stenmon, Simmons

Sydney Robison, University of Saint Joseph (Conn.)