Madison, Wis. - Four members of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team have been named to the 2025 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Team, including two first team selections, the league announced Tuesday. 
 
Senior shortstop Kyra Lard of McHenry, Ill. (East) and sophomore outfielder Brooke Howard of Rock Falls, Ill. (H.S.) were voted to the All-WIAC First Team while sophomore right-handed pitcher Brynne Bieri of McFarland (H.S) was selected to the All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team. Lard was also selected the WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete.
 
Junior right-handed pitcher Ashlyn Bennin of Mishicot (H.S.) was named to the All-WIAC Sportsmanship Team.

The Eagles have now had at least two players named to the all-conference first team in 15 of the last 16 seasons.   
 

Lard earned her fourth consecutive All-WIAC First Team honor in 2025 while Howard earned her second straight All-WIAC First Team accolade.
 
Lard is the seventh player in school history to be named to the all-conference first team four times, joining Lynn Steimetz (1983-86), Kari Lundberg (1989-92), Bonnie Henke (1991-93, 1995), Rochelle Vandenlangenberg (1994-97), Jenny Nelson (1999-2002) and Sally Wenzel (2000-03).
 
Starting all 41 games this season, Lard led UWL in batting average this season at .373 (47-of-126). She also led the Eagles in on-base (.459) and slugging (.540) percentage while ranking first in RBI (29), doubles (15), walks (21) and total bases (68). Lard was second in hits (47) and runs (26).
 
She recorded at least one hit in 29 contests, finishing with 13 multiple-hit games (second on team). Lard had four games with at least three hits, including a season-high four versus SUNY-Cortland on March 17. 

 

Lard ranks first in school history in career doubles (61) and RBI (153) while being second in hits (226) and batting average (.418). She is third all-time in home runs (21) and runs (137). Lard's 61 career doubles are also a WIAC record.
 
Voted the 2022 WIAC Newcomer of the Year and 2024 WIAC Position Player of the Year, Lard led UWL with nine multiple-RBI games this season. She had a season-high four against SUNY-Cortland. Lard currently ranks fourth in the WIAC in walks and fifth in doubles. She is ninth in on-base percentage), 10th in OPS (.999), and 12th in hits and RBI while ranking 13th in batting average and slugging percentage. Lard is 15th in the league in runs. 
 
Howard also started 41 games in 2025, hitting .358 (49-of-137) while leading UWL in hits (49), runs (30), triples (6), and at-bats (137).  She was second in on-base percentage (.413), total bases (64), walks (11) while finishing tied for second in stolen bases (12).
 

She leads the WIAC with six triples this season and currently sits third in school history in career triples with 13. Howard is also fourth in the conference this season in at-bats while ranking ninth in hits and runs and 12th in stolen bases.
 
Recording at least one hit in 30 games this year, Howard led UWL with 18 multiple-hit contests. She had a season-high three hits at UW-Whitewater on April 26. Howard had at least one run in 22 contests with a season-high four versus SUNY-Cortland. She was selected the WIAC Position Player of the Week for February 10-16, finishing with three RBI, two doubles, four total bases, two walks and one stolen base in a pair of games.
 
Bieri earned her first career All-WIAC honors this season after going 6-2 with a 2.80 earned run average. Her six victories tied for the team lead for UWL. Making 16 appearances, including four starts, Bieri recorded 20 strikeouts while allowing four walks in 35.0 total innings. Her six wins are tied or 14th in the WIAC this year.
 
She went 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA in seven appearances in the WIAC, holding opponents to a .204 batting average. Bieri earned league wins over UW-Eau Claire on April 16; UW-Stevens Point on April 19 and UW-River Falls on April 22. She went a season-high 5.0 innings in earning the victory over Rutgers University-Camden (N.J.) on March 19, allowing one earned run. 

 
Bieri had a season-high three strikeouts in 4.0 innings in a win versus MSOE (Wis.) on March 28. She also had three strikeouts against UW-Stevens Point, pitching 2.0 innings.
 
Bennin was selected for the 2025 All-Sportsmanship Team, chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season.  It includes one member from each school. She played in two games this season.
 
UWL finished 22-19 overall and 7-7 in the WIAC under second-year head coach Samantha Korn.