ST. LOUIS – Missouri State softball placed four student-athletes on the Missouri Valley Conference scholar-athlete teams, the league announced today (May 15).
 
Makenzi Swick and McKenzie Vaughan were first-team selections, while Mackenzie Chacon and Sofia King received second-team honors.
 
This marks the first MVC scholar-athlete team honor of Swick's career. The right-handed junior has also been named to the MVC Honor Roll and an NFCA Scholar-Athlete twice in her career, in addition to earning the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award in 2023-24. Swick owns a 3.91 GPA as she pursues a degree in Biology.
 
The Stillwater, Okla., native led the Missouri State pitching staff with 53 strikeouts in 2025. She also owned a 4.00 earned run average and tossed a team-high 113.2 innings on the season.
 
Vaughan collects the second first-team nod of her career, with her first coming in 2023 as a sophomore. The two-way standout is a three-time member of the MVC Honor Roll and received the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award in 2023-24. Vaughan has also been named an NFCA Scholar-Athlete three times in her career and earned a spot on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in 2023. Vaughan recently graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Exercise and Movement Science.
 
The Bella Vista, Ark., native wrapped up her career with an impressive senior campaign. Vaughan led the Bears with 42 RBI, 22 walks, 15 home runs, a .290 batting average, a 3.73 ERA and 11 wins in the circle. She broke Missouri State's career home run record with her 32^nd career homer on April 26 against Belmont, and ends her career with the new top mark set at 34.
 
Chacon racks up her third consecutive MVC scholar-athlete team nod, earning a spot on the second team for the second straight year. The lefty pitcher is a three-time member of the MVC Honor Roll and a two-time recipient of the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award. She has also been an NFCA Scholar-Athlete the past three years and appeared on the CSC Academic All-District Team the last two seasons. Chacon recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology.
 
The Oologah, Okla., native was one of a trio of pitcher's to lead the Missouri State pitching staff. Chacon owned the second-most wins with six on the season, owning a 5.04 ERA in 84.2 innings of work. She amassed 43 strikeouts and threw two complete games on the year.
 
King earns the first MVC scholar-athlete team honor of her career as a sophomore. Last season, she was named an NFCA Scholar-Athlete and landed on the MVC Honor Roll. Additionally, she has been on the MSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll in every semester of her career. King owns a 3.97 GPA as she pursues a degree in Biomedical Sciences.
 
The Conway, Ark., native appeared in 40 games on the season and earned 30 starts. King scored eight runs, collected eight hits and drew three walks on the year.
 
The criteria for the scholar-athlete team balloting parallels the CSC standards for the Academic All-America voting. Nominees must have played at least 75-percent of a team's games, must be at least a sophomore in academic and athletic standing and must carry at least a 3.50 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).