May 14, 2009

NFCA Release

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Four Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) softball players were named to the 2009 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Teams announced by the Association on Thursday. The IIAC honorees include two Second Team selections and two Third Team selections.

Luther College junior second baseman Anna Simonson (Galesville, Wis./Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau) and Central College freshman designated player Rachael Everingham (Georgetown, Ill./Ridge Farm) were named to the Second Team and Wartburg College senior pitcher Angela Hartwig (Long Grove, Iowa/North Scott) and Coe College shortstop Ashley Leonard (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) were named to the Third Team. Simonson, Everingham, and Hartwig were chosen at their positions, while Leonard was an at-large selection.

Hartwig is a repeat NFCA All-America selection, having been named to the First Team in 2008. It is also the fourth consecutive season a Knight has received all-America honors, currently the longest streak of any Iowa Conference school. Leonard, the 2009 Iowa Conference Position Player of the Year, is Coe's first softball All-American since Ellie Schultz received Second Team honors in 2007. Simonson is Luther's 11th All-American, marking the third straight season a Norse softball player has received all-America honors. Everingham becomes the 19th Central softball All-American and just the second Dutch freshman to earn honors after Missey Allen in 1993.

The entire Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America Team can be found here.

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