Behind the Diamond: Softball Duo Shine as Both Leaders and Scholars

Spring training for these two standout players included a trip to the NCAA convention with athletes from around the country

Dana Rene (left) and Janiyah Smith are preparing for their junior seasons on the Rutgers-Newark softball team.

Dana Rene and Janiyah Smith, both preparing for junior seasons on Rutgers-Newark's softball team, know their balancing acts as Division III student-athletes must mainly tilt toward academics and what their coach calls "non-scoreboard wins.''

Rene and Smith's leadership bona fides led to their selection as university representatives to the recent 2026 NCAA Convention outside Washington, D.C., where they joined the Division III section's educational, legislative, and celebratory events with fellow student-athletes across the nation.

"D3 creates opportunities for yourself outside of your sport,'' said Smith.

For Smith, a catcher and psychology major from Neptune, NJ, the highlight was participating in an open forum on student-athletes' mental health, where her peers shared their stressful experiences playing non-scholarship college sports at a high level while focusing on academic performance.

Her key takeaways: "Just really understanding that mental health isn't one size fits all and how different that looks for each of my teammates,'' combined with a shared "feeling of gratitude" for the benefits of the Division III experience.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the non-profit entity regulating college athletics, oversees Division I (the largest and best known), Division II (mid-level) and Division III (no athletic scholarships). Division III athletes are students first, with academics and graduation prioritized and their sports seasons shorter than the other divisions. These Division III student-athletes must meet the same admission requirements as typical students and are only eligible for financial aid based on merit or monetary need.

"We have the same struggles, but we're living our dream of playing the sports that we love,'' said Smith, who plans to become a pediatric physical therapist. "We're still playing our sport at a really intense and competitive level, but we get to experience everything else too…and kind of live that student life."

Rene, a third baseman and biology major from New Windsor, NY, is a campus member of NCAA's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a leadership group that enhances athletes' collegiate experiences and promotes community outreach. For Rene, this includes participating in Newark children's toy drives, reading to school kids, and a Halloween Trunk or Treat.

Dana Rene and Janiyah Smith were selected to attend the NCAA convention this year in a nod to their leadership skills.

While at the NCAA Conference, Rene particularly enjoyed "being able to see what goes into the decision making," while sitting in on conference discussions and votes on two key Division III issues: Allowing a fifth year of eligibility, which failed, and adding women's wrestling, which passed.

Being able to hear different journeys, particularly how fellow athletes juggle their on-field and academic responsibilities and handle the pressures, also was important to Rene.

"Everyone has gotten here through their own paths,'' said Rene, who seeks a career as a physician's assistant in orthopedics for athletes.

Rene said one of the softball team's goals this season is regularly "checking in on teammates…understanding you don't go through anything alone,'' as they help each other on and off the field. She shared her simple daily relaxation exercise with teammates.

"When I get up in the morning, I usually take a second, don't think about anything, take a few deep breathes before I start my day,'' explained Rene. "It's worked.''

Jaclyn Davis, coach of the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders softball team, said both Rene and Smith "really embrace their roles,'' expressing pride in their conference attendance and ability to share takeaways with teammates.

"This is all the stuff that nobody thinks about that we do off the field in preparing students for life…We call them non-scoreboard wins,'' said Davis.

"It's a great leadership opportunity for each of them, really learning what happens in the world of college sports that have nothing to do with being on the field,'' said Davis. "It's a great networking opportunity. Both of them have pretty lofty goals for after graduation, going into different parts of the medical field."

Davis said both players "lead by example,'' with Smith "a bit more vocal'' befitting her position as catcher.

"They're both fun to be around. They have a lot of friends,'' she added.

What is essential to a D3's athlete's success?

"We talk about time management all the time,'' explained Davis. "And we try to establish as many resources as we can within the program … to make sure they are successful academically."

Love of the game also is key.

"I never say that it's hard. I say that it takes a commitment,'' said Smith, whose father fostered her love for softball. "I want to go to physical therapy school, so it really is just a commitment to knowing who I am as a student and that my academics do come first. But also understanding how I can balance that with softball."

Smith's sport has another advantage: "All of my closest friends, I've met through softball…I expect (them) to be with me the rest of my life.''

The duo had a chance to see what goes into decision making during the convention.

Engelbert Santana, dean of advisement for the Honors Living-Learning Community at Rutgers-Newark, advises Smith, one of just 65 students of more than 600 interviewed chosen for the honors program her freshman year.

"That speaks to her leadership and potential we see in her,'' said Santana of Smith's NCAA Conference selection. "Great leader on the team. But then academically, maintaining a very strong GPA."

Santana said Smith's experience in the honors program includes a heavy emphasis on community engagement, which involves working with youngsters, social service and awareness initiatives, and fundraising. Smith also plans to participate in a physical therapy internship in Greece this summer, he noted.

"We really want to prepare these students to be the next change agents,'' added Santana.

For Rene, it is all about knowing why she plays softball without a scholarship, while working so hard academically.

"I'm doing this because I love it,'' said Rene, who began playing softball at age 5 or 6. "Coach (Davis) always says, we have to go out to the real world and get a job. So, it's also making sure we're putting that work in the classroom.''

Like Smith, Rene also is close friends with teammates: "I basically met my second family here, so this is like home for me."

Co-Adjunct Professor Ashley Gwathney of Rutgers-Newark's Department of Urban Education and Post-doctoral Associate for the New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) program, taught Rene in a class focusing on disability studies and the school-to-prison nexus through the lens of justice and injustice.

"I was just so impressed with her engagement in the course and attending (class-related) outside events, including the Mellon Sawyer Seminar Series,'' said Gwathney, particularly with Rene juggling her nearly 40-game Spring 2025 season at the time.

"I can only imagine the emotions that go with being a high performer- not only academically but as an athlete,'' said Gwathney. "I think it's important that we look at our students as holistic beings with lived experiences inside and outside of the classroom.''

For Coach Davis, the essence of what motivates Smith, Rene, and other successful Division III student-athletes comes from within themselves.

"There's nothing that's forcing them to stay here or keeping them here, financially certainly, said Davis. "So, really, it's their internal drive to work hard and be good at everything.''