AMHERST, N.Y. — Four Wildcat women's basketball players were named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators on Tuesday. Sophie Auer (Lewiston, N.Y.), Kyleigh Chapman (Canandaigua, N.Y.), Julia Fontanillo (Valladolid, Spain), and Claire Pikett (Holland, N.Y.) were honored for their achievements on the court and in the classroom.
To be eligible for Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must have played in at least 90% of their team's games or started 66% of them. They also must have reached sophomore athletic eligibility. Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot.
Auer, an Adolescence Education (Mathematics) major, has logged a 3.74 GPA. The guard earned Third Team All-ECC accolades. Auer started all 30 of Daemen's games, ranking fourth on the squad in minutes per game (28.7). She finished second on the team in field goal percentage (47.4%), averaging 9.1 points per game. Auer also averaged 4.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. The junior scored in double figures in nine games, including a season-high 20 points in the win over Goldey-Beacom, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc.
Chapman, an Accounting major, has maintained a 3.96 GPA. The sophomore stepped into a starting role for the majority of the season. She averaged 2.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. She finished fourth on the team in rebounding and third in assists. The sophomore posted her first career double-double in a win over Molly with a career-best 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Chapman also logged seven points and 12 rebounds during a victory against the University of the District of Columbia. Additionally, she scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in a home win against Roberts Wesleyan.
Fontanillo, a Health & Fitness major, has recorded a 3.68 GPA after transferring into Daemen. The guard averaged 4.2 points, 2.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 2.3 rebounds per game. She finished second on the team and tied for 12th in the ECC in assists per game. Fontanillo logged eight games with four-plus assists this season. She recorded a career-best seven in an overtime win at Staten Island while scoring 10 points. She also registered six helpers in a victory at Franklin Pierce. Fontanillo logged five assists against Mercy, Queens, and Chestnut Hill. She scored nine points and dished out two assists to help the Wildcats defeat Felician in the NCAA East Region Quarterfinals.
Pikett, a Childhood/Special Education major, has maintained a 3.61 GPA. She had another standout season for Daemen, earning ECC Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-ECC accolades. Pikett started all 30 games for the Wildcats, playing a team-leading 30.7 minutes per contest. Pikett led the ECC in steals (102) and steals per game (3.4), also ranking tied for 10th nationally in the latter. The forward was second in the ECC in blocks (50) and tied for second in blocks per game (1.7). Additionally, Pikett averaged 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. She recorded five-plus steals in seven contests this season, including a career-high eight in the season-opener against Wilmington (DE).
Daemen finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 26-4 record, including a 15-1 ECC mark, and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the second time in three years.
Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.
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