As the star pitcher for a
Biola Eagles softball team that reached the NCAA West Super Region championship game,
DJ Symons faced many pressure-packed moments during the 2026 season.
With nursing in her future, she will face more such moments, albeit in a different arena. But navigating through the 2026 Eagles season while maintaining a near-perfect grade point average is preparation that will serve her well during her next career steps.
Symons, who graduated this spring with a 3.94 GPA in Public Health, is the 2025-26 Pacific West Conference Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The award winner is selected annually by the conference’s athletic directors.
Symons is the first Biola female student-athlete to win this award, and she is the first softball player to earn the honor since 2014 (Courney Sherwin, Dixie State).
The 5-foot-9 lefthander had a phenomenal year on the diamond. The Seattle native set Biola Division II-era records with 20 wins, seven saves, innings pitched (203.2) and appearances (48). She tossed four shutouts and finished with a 2.47 earned run average. She was named the PacWest Pitcher of the Year, leading the conference in almost every statistical category.
When her team needed her most, she went 5-2 in the postseason with two saves in games at the PacWest Conference Championships, the NCAA West Regional tournament and the NCAA Super Region Championships. She was named Second Team All-Region (NFCA and D2CCA) and was a CSC Academic All-District nod.
In the classroom, she finished up her degree in public health, with a concentration in global health. She graduated with honors (Summa Cum Laude).
Symons also represented her team as a member of the student-athlete advisory committee (SAAC). As a senior, she served on the executive committee within SAAC and played a major role in advocating for and enhancing the student-athlete community at Biola.
Next, she plans to continue her education at a nursing school to be determined.
"Beyond her accomplishments, DJ is simply an incredible person," said Biola head coach
Kristin Halte. "She is a great teammate, a positive influence on those around her, and someone who consistently leads with humility and integrity. We are grateful to see her recognized for the dedication she brings to every aspect of being a student-athlete. Extremely proud of DJ and the way she represents everything our program stands for."
ALL-TIME FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
| Year |
Name |
School |
Sport |
GPA |
Major |
| 2010 |
Samantha Murphy |
Grand Canyon |
Basketball |
3.96 |
Pre-Physical Therapy |
| 2011 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012 |
I-Hsuan Hwang |
BYU-Hawaii |
Tennis |
3.76 |
Exercise Science |
| 2013 |
Judy Jones |
Grand Canyon |
Basketball |
3.94 |
Exercise Science |
| 2014 |
Courtney Sherwin |
Dixie State |
Softball |
3.83 |
Business Administration |
| 2015 |
Claire Mathews |
Point Loma |
Soccer |
3.99 |
Engineering Physics |
| 2016 |
Allie Updike |
Azusa Pacific |
Track & Field |
3.91 |
Applied Exercise Science |
| 2017 |
Cassidy Mihalko |
California Baptist |
Basketball |
3.92 |
Business Administration |
| 2018 |
Darian Murdock |
Dixie State |
Soccer |
3.98 |
Nursing |
| 2019 |
Keagan Bolibol |
Point Loma |
Soccer, Track & Field |
3.85 |
Business Entrepreneurship |
| 2020 |
Sara Wagenveld |
Azusa Pacific |
Volleyball, Track & Field |
3.96 |
English & Humanities |
| 2021 |
Cara Liggins |
Point Loma |
Basketball |
4.00 |
MBA |
| 2022 |
Daelenn Tokunaga |
Hawai`i Hilo |
Soccer |
3.83 |
Administration of Justice |
| 2023 |
Jaylah Walker |
Azusa Pacific |
Track and Field |
3.91 |
Public Health |
| 2024 |
Nicole Warwick |
Azusa Pacific |
Track and Field |
3.81 |
Master's in Leadership |
| 2025 |
Brianna Green |
Fresno Pacific |
Track and Field |
3.78 |
Psychology |
| 2026 |
DJ Symons |
Biola |
Softball |
3.94 |
Public Health |