UW-Whitewater's Bravo and UW-Eau Claire's McKinney Top All-WIAC Women's Softball Team

NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Matt Stanek * Sports Information Director * 780 Regent Street * Madison, WI 53715 * Phone: (608) 265-6406 * www.uwsa.edu/wiac/

RELEASED: Wednesday, May 5, 2004

UW-Whitewater's Bravo and UW-Eau Claire' McKinney Top All-WIAC Women's Softball Team

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Erin Bravo was voted the Position Player of the Year and UW-Eau Claire's Mallory McKinney was selected the Pitcher of the Year to headline the 20 individuals selected to the 2004 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women's Softball Team by the league coaches.

Bravo leads the conference with nine home runs, while ranking second with 14 doubles and third with a .452 batting average, 61 hits and 35 RBIs. She played in all 84 games for UW-Whitewater the past two seasons after transferring from UW-Parkside and holds the Warhawks' all-time mark with a .431 batting average (112-for-260) and 20 home runs. Her nine home runs this year rank second on the school's single-season list, while her 61 hits rank fourth and .452 batting average is fifth.

Bravo earned All-WIAC first team honors for the second straight season. She becomes the fifth Warhawk to be recognized as the Player of the Year in the league. Megan Kerkman (2001), Valerie Kerkman (1999), Patti Matel (1997) and Kim Peterson (1996) were honored as the East Division Player of the Year. Prior to the 2002 season, the WIAC was split into east and west divisions.

McKinney leads the WIAC with three saves and a 1.15 ERA, while ranking third with 14 wins, fourth with 128.1 innings pitched and seventh with 91 strikeouts. She registered a season-high nine strikeouts against UW-Stout on May 1 and hurled complete game shutouts against UW-Platteville on April 24 and UW-Oshkosh on April 26 and 30.

McKinney was also a threat at the plate in 2004, leading the team with seven home runs and 30 RBIs and ranking second with a .362 batting average, .580 slugging percentage, .403 on-base percentage and 50 hits.

McKinney is the third Blugold to claim the league honor, joining Lisa Schueler (2000), Jill Schoenike (1999 and 1997).

Bravo was joined on the first team by teammates Colleen Boilini and Dana Jakoubek. Boilini ranks second in the league with 33 stolen bases and third with 34 runs scored, while leading the Warhawks with 151 at-bats and placing second with a .331 batting average and 50 hits. Her 33 stolen bases this year established a school single-season record and helped Boilini set the school's career mark with 51 steals. Boilini's 151 at-bats in 2004 rank second on the school's list.

Jakoubek leads the conference with three saves, while ranking second with 113 strikeouts, eighth with 117.1 innings pitched and ninth with a 2.21 ERA. She was a honorable mention pick a year ago.

UW-Eau Claire's Emilee Planert and Beth Steward joined McKinney on the first team. Planert secured first team honors for the third consecutive season after ranking third in the conference with 34 runs scored and seventh with a .398 batting average. She led the Blugolds with a .641 slugging percentage, .458 on-base percentage and 51 hits.

Steward earned first team accolades for the second straight year after accumulating a .298 batting average, 37 hits, 16 runs scored, 14 RBIs, six doubles and three home runs.

UW-Stout landed four individuals on the first team as Kim Caswell, Megan Donley, Erin O'Connell and Kaela Wold were recognized for their efforts in helping the Blue Devils to 27 wins, the most for the program since 1995 when they compiled 34 victories.

Caswell ranks second in the league with four triples, while leading the team with 159 at-bats and 34 runs scored and placing third on the squad with a .352 batting average and 56 hits. Caswell earned honorable mention accolades the last two seasons.

Donley was a honorable mention selection a year ago. This season, she tops the conference with 259.0 innings pitched and 41 appearances, while ranking second with 22 wins and seven shutouts and third with 104 strikeouts and a 1.46 ERA. Her 259.0 innings pitched set a school single-season record, while her victory and ERA totals rank second on UW-Stout's list.

O'Connell secured first team honors for the second straight season after ranking third in the conference with 13 doubles and seven home runs and fifth with a .408 batting average and 58 hits. She holds the conference record with 24 career home runs and set a UW-Stout single-season mark with a .994 fielding percentage this year.

Wold claimed first team honors for the third consecutive season after leading the WIAC with 69 hits, 40 RBIs, 20 doubles, .779 slugging percentage and .542 on-base percentage, while ranking second with a .493 batting average. Her 20 doubles established a WIAC single-season record, while her hits, RBIs, batting average and slugging percentage all rank second on UW-Stout's single-season list.

UW-Superior has accumulated a school-record 32 wins this year and claimed the WIAC Tournament title, along with a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Yellowjackets had Jamie Bang, Abby Glawe and Erin Kegley recognized on the first team.

Bang leads the conference with six triples, while ranking second with 37 RBIs, third with 59 hits, fourth with a .415 batting average and seventh with 33 runs scored. Her RBI and triple totals this season established school single-season records.

Glawe leads the WIAC with 31 wins and nine shutouts, while ranking second with 249.0 innings pitched, 38 appearances and a 1.32 ERA. Her 31 victories set a conference single-season record, while her nine shutouts rank second on the league's chart and her 47 career victories are a school record.

Kegley tops the conference with a .515 batting average and 69 hits, while ranking third with 35 RBIs and 34 runs scored. She has not struck out in 147 plate appearances this year. Kegley set UW-Superior single-season records with her hits and runs scored totals and is on pace to break the conference batting average mark.

UW-Oshkosh's Julie Barth and Jessie Laha helped the team to a 20-19 overall mark in 2004, the most wins since 2000 and a 12-game improvement from a year ago. Barth earned first team honors for the third-straight season, while Laha claimed the recognition in 2001. Barth led the Titans with a .353 batting average, .471 slugging percentage, 119 at-bats and 42 hits, while Laha compiled a .333 batting average with 13 runs scored and 12 RBIs on the strength of a strong second half of the season.

UW-Stevens Point's Rebekah Bauer compiled a school record 25 extra-base hits in 2004, while ranking second in the league with 14 doubles and four triples, third with 35 RBIs and ninth with a .380 batting average. Bauer was joined on the first team by teammate Mandy Jellish, who led the Pointers with 134 at-bats, 30 runs scored and 12 stolen bases and ranked second with a .358 batting average, 48 hits and 23 runs scored.

UW-La Crosse's Alli Romoren leads the conference with 121 strikeouts and ranks seventh with a 2.04 ERA. She tossed 113.1 innings this season and compiled a 10-8 record with five shutouts.

UW-Platteville's Wendi Siedschlag led the team with 23 RBIs, 16 runs scored, eight home runs and a .550 slugging percentage this season, while ranking second with a .275 batting average, 109 at-bats, 30 hits and six doubles. She holds the school record with 19 career home runs. Siedschlag earned honorable mention honors a year ago.

UW-River Falls' Anna Poulter established a conference single-season record with 53 stolen bases in 2004, while also leading the league with 42 runs scored and ranking 10th with a .370 batting average. She also led the team with 51 hits and a .428 slugging percentage. Poulter holds the WIAC career stolen base mark with 121 steals and earned first team accolades in 2003 and 2001.

UW-Eau Claire head coach Leslie Huntington was voted the 2004 Coach of the Year by the conference coaches. She led the Blugolds to the regular-season championship and a 26-17 overall record, the most wins for the program since the 2000 campaign when they compiled 29 victories. Huntington becomes the second women's softball coach in school history to win the award, joining JoEllen Bailey, who claimed the honor in 1997.

Named to the honorable mention team were: UW-Eau Claire's Molly Blakewell, UW-La Crosse's Carly Anderson, Jenny Miller and Shelly Monahan, UW-Oshkosh's Cassie Goodweiler and Anne Stanislawski, UW-Platteville's Laura Brown and Stacey Yager, UW-River Falls' Emily Evans, Melissa Turbak and Leah Vanderploeg, UW-Stevens Point's Stephanie Anderson, UW-Stout's Jamie Gorges, UW-Superior's Kathleen Duffy and Sarah Tarasewicz and UW-Whitewater's Lauren Morstad.

2004 All-WIAC Women's Softball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Jamie Bang, UW-Superior, Sophomore, Outfield, Hermantown, Minn.
Julie Barth, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Outfield, Neillsville
Rebekah Bauer, UW-Stevens Point, Sophomore, Outfield, Stevens Point (SPASH)
Colleen Boilini, UW-Whitewater, Junior, Shortstop, Highland Park, Ill.
Erin Bravo, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Firstbase/Outfield, Arlington Heights, Ill. (Buffalo Grove)
Kim Caswell, UW-Stout, Senior, Outfield, Stanley (Stanley-Boyd)
Megan Donley, UW-Stout, Sophomore, Pitcher, Fridley, Minn.
Abby Glawe, UW-Superior, Senior, Pitcher, Horicon
Dana Jakoubek, UW-Whitewater, Junior, Pitcher, Brookfield, Ill. (Fenwick)
Mandy Jellish, UW-Stevens Point, Freshman, Outfield, Kaukauna
Erin Kegley, UW-Superior, Freshman, Thirdbase, Inver Grove Heights, Minn. (Simley)
Jessie Laha, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Outfield, Kimberly
Mallory McKinney, UW-Eau Claire, Freshman, Pitcher, Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Champlin Park)
Erin O'Connell, UW-Stout, Junior, Firstbase, Altoona
Emilee Planert, UW-Eau Claire, Senior, Shortstop, Eau Claire (North)
Anna Poulter, UW-River Falls, Senior, Catcher, Colfax, Iowa (Colfax-Mingo)
Alli Romoren, UW-La Crosse, Freshman, Pitcher, New Berlin (Eisenhower)
Wendi Siedschlag, UW-Platteville, Junior, Firstbase/Designated Player, Monroe
Beth Steward, UW-Eau Claire, Senior, Catcher, Chippewa Falls (Chi-Hi)
Kaela Wold, UW-Stout, Junior, Shortstop, Altoona

Honorable Mention
Carley Anderson, UW-La Crosse, Junior, Catcher, Stockholm (Pepin)
Stephanie Anderson, UW-Stevens Point, Sophomore, Pitcher, Milwaukee (King)
Molly Blakewell, UW-Eau Claire, Junior, Firstbase, Eau Claire (North)
Laura Brown, UW-Platteville, Junior, Thirdbase, Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard West)
Kathleen Duffy, UW-Superior, Sophomore, Outfield, Superior (Senior)
Emily Evans, UW-River Falls, Junior, Thirdbase, White Bear Lake, Minn.
Cassie Goodweiler, UW-Oshkosh, Sophomore, Pitcher, Stoughton
Jamie Gorges, UW-Stout, Junior, Catcher, New London
Jenny Miller, UW-La Crosse, Freshman, Thirdbase, Durand
Shelly Monahan, UW-La Crosse, Freshman, Pitcher, Rochester, Minn. (Mayo)
Lauren Morstad, UW-Whitewater, Sophomore, Pitcher/Designated Player, Elgin, Ill. (Larkin)
Anne Stanislawski, UW-Oshkosh, Junior, Thirdbase, Amherst
Sarah Tarasewicz, UW-Superior, Junior, Catcher, Hurley
Melissa Turbak, UW-River Falls, Senior, Secondbase, Little Canada, Minn. (Roseville)
Leah Vanderploeg, UW-River Falls, Junior, Pitcher, Cable (Drummond)
Stacey Yager, UW-Platteville, Junior, Outfield, Lancaster

Position Player of the Year: Erin Bravo of UW-Whitewater
Pitcher of the Year: Mallory McKinney of UW-Eau Claire
Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete: Anna Poulter of UW-River Falls
Coach of the Year: Leslie Huntington of UW-Eau Claire

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