They say good things come in threes. That's certainly true for Linfield University softball standout Kaili Saathoff.
 
Wednesday in Bloomington, Illinois, Saathoff was awarded a third consecutive Division III Softball Elite 90 Award, making her just the second Division III softball player to have received the honor three successive years. Former Luther College standout Kelsey Kittleson won the award three straight seasons in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
 
The Elite 90 award honors the exceptional achievements of student-athletes and is given to those who have not only excelled at a national championship level in their sport but have also achieved the highest academic standards among their peers. The Elite 90 is proudly awarded to a single student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships.
 
"I cannot think of a better definition of a student-athlete than Kaili Saathoff," praised Linfield vice president for athletics Scott Brosius. "Obviously we've watched her great ability on the field and we know she's an amazing student off the field as well. She's really just a complete package. To see her earn the Elite 90 Award three years in a row is a remarkable testament to who she is and the amount of work and the demand for excellence she puts into everything she does. We're incredibly proud of Kaili and her story of success at Linfield."
 
Saathoff was presented the award during the pre-tournament banquet Wednesday night highlighting the accomplishments of each of the eight teams contending for a national crown at this week's NCAA Division III Championship.
 
Saathoff is the only repeat Elite 90 Award winner in the history Division III softball. Wednesday's presentation marks the fourth time a Linfield Wildcat has received the prestigious award. Former Wildcat second baseman Kenzie Schmoll was the first to receive the Elite 89 Award, as it was known then, in 2015.
 
A mathematics and physics major, Saathoff has maintained a perfect 4.00 grade point average throughout her four years at Linfield.  
 
A fixture at first base for the perennially successful Wildcats softball team, the senior from Philomath, Oregon, has started all 48 games while earning first team all-Northwest Conference recognition.
 
Slotted second in the Wildcats' batting order, Saathoff is hitting .394 this spring, scoring 60 runs and driving home a career-best 44 runs, as well as stealing 15 bases. In Linfield's career record book, she ranks second all-time for on-base percentage at .516 and is fourth in batting average at .428.
 
Saathoff has been Linfield's most impactful offensive player in the 2025 postseason, hitting .583 in eight playoff games as the Wildcats marched through the Northwest Conference Tournament, McMinnville Regional and McMinnville Super Regional to reach this week's NCAA Championship.
 
Saathoff was recently named to a College Sports Communicators All-District X team and is a strong candidate to be named to the CSC Academic All-America team for a third straight year when those honors are announced June 17.
 
Kaili is the daughter of Bob and Kris Saathoff of Philomath.