OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Three Blue Angel softball players were named to All-Association of Division III Independent Teams Thursday, as released by the AD3I Thursday.
Junior co-captain Katie Edwards (Mackinaw, Ill.) was Mount Mary's lone First Team honoree as a Utility player, spending the entire season in the defensive battery.
Edwards finished the season in the upper ranks of offensive statistical categories, earning her First Team honors. She finished fifth in overall batting average (.379), third in on-base percentage (.481), second in slugging percentage (.667), seventh in runners batted in (21) and hit a league-leading five homeruns this season.
Defensively, Edwards ranked second in the AD3I in innings pitched (95.2) while picking up one win in the circle. Her .915 fielding percentage also ranked in the top 25 overall.
Senior co-captain Katie Wolk (Oshkosh, Wis.) was named to her second straight Second Team honor, also as a Utility player and sophomore Nicole Weggen (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) was named to the Second Team, spending much of the season in the infield.
In the final AD3I rankings, Wolk finished fifth overall in triples, seventh in doubles and eighth in on-base percentage. Weggen finished the year with top 15 rankings in doubles, overall batting average, hits, slugging percentage and on-base percentage as both rounded out the postseason honors for MMU.
Senior catcher Cassandra Molinari of St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) and Maranatha Baptist junior shortstop Emily Boogher were named Co-Players of the Year. Nebraska Wesleyan freshman Chaley Hamilton was named Pitcher of the Year, while SJC outfielder Samantha Rossi was named Freshman of the Year.
Frank P. Carbone, also of St. Joseph's, was selected as the Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Bears to a league-best 17-16 overall record.
Softball coaches at member institutions of the Association of Division III Independents selected the award recipients during a conference call.
ALL-AD3I FIRST TEAM
P– Chaley Hamilton, Fr., Nebraska Wesleyan University (Beatrice, Neb.)
P– Jamilynn McGowan, Fr., St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (Staten Island, N.Y.)
1B – Taylor Cochran, So., University of Maine-Presque Isle (Topsfield, Maine)
2B – Brittany Luetjen, Sr., University of Maine-Presque Isle (Hampden, Maine)
3B – Kristin Ferrigno, Fr., St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
SS – Emily Boogher, So., Maranatha Baptist University (York, Pa.)
C – Cassandra Molinari, Jr., St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
OF – Samantha Rossi, Fr., St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (Bayside, N.Y.)
OF – Emily Thompson, Jr., Maranatha Baptist University (Watertown, Wis.)
OF – Tanika Charles, Sr., The College of New Rochelle (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
OF – Rachel Kubik, So., Nebraska Wesleyan University (Omaha, Neb.)
U – Krista Coffin, Sr., University of Maine-Presque Isle (Presque Isle, Maine)
U – Katie Edwards, Jr., Mount Mary University (Mackinaw, Ill.)
U – Kayla Randel, Sr., Nebraska Wesleyan University (Beatrice, Neb.)
ALL-AD3I SECOND TEAM
P – Rosa Lewis, Sr., Maranatha Baptist University (Yates City, Ill.)
P – Jackie Perillo, Jr., St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (Howard Beach, N.Y.)
1B – Geena Campisi, Fr., St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (Howard Beach, N.Y.)
2B – Nicole Weggen, So., Mount Mary University (Menomonee Falls, Wis.)
3B – Shannon Brown, So., University of Maine-Presque Isle (Calais, Maine)
SS – Betsy Reimer, So., Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln, Neb.)
C – Katie Patenaude, So., University of Maine-Presque Isle (Presque Isle, Maine)
OF – Amanda Allen, So., University of Maine-Presque Isle (Limestone, Maine)
OF – Jah-Leah Ellis, Jr., The College of New Rochelle (Harlem, N.Y.)
OF – Christina Quintana, Sr., St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
U – Amy Dineen, So., Maranatha Baptist University (Great Valley, N.Y.)
U – Katie Wolk, Sr., Mount Mary University (Oshkosh, Wis.)
U – Samantha Simon, Fr., St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
U – Whitney Donovan, Jr., University of Maine-Presque Isle (Ashland, Maine)
The Association of Division III Independents consists of seven Division III independent institutions that have joined together to recognize student-athletes at independent institutions, and to provide exempted postseason championship competition. The Association recognizes outstanding athletic achievements of its student-athletes on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. The Association provides statistical services for its members in seven sports. In addition, it announced All-Independent teams at the conclusion of eight other sports this year.
More information about the Association of Division III Independents is available at http://www.d3independents.org.