May 14, 2010

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Eighteen Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) softball players were named to the 2010 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Midwest Region Team announced by the Association Thursday. The IIAC honorees include six First Team selections, nine Second Team selections and three Third Team selections.

Luther College senior pitcher Kim Lambert (Coal Valley, Ill./Moline), senior catcher Tiffany Kruse (Greeley, Iowa/Edgewood-Colesburg), senior second baseman Anna Simonson (Galesville, Wis./Gale-Ettrick-Trempeleau), and sophomore third baseman Lauran Snyder (San Pedro, Calif./San Pedro), Central College junior first baseman Katie Tenboer (Morrison, Ill./Morrison), and Wartburg College sophomore outfielder Lynn Heitkamp (Galena, Ill.) were named to the First Team. All were chosen at their position except Tenboer, who was an at-large selection.

Earning Second Team All-Region honors were Coe College sophomore pitcher Ashlee Simon (Riverside, Iowa/Highland) and senior utility player Abby Wedemeier (Maynard, Iowa/West Central), Simpson College senior pitcher Whitney Oviatt (Carnation, Wash./Cedarcrest), sophomore shortstop Keri Sorensen (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley), and junior catcher Allie Hock (Lawrence, Kan./Free State), Wartburg College junior third basemen Tina Vande Hoef (Ocheyedan, Iowa/Sibley-Ocheyedan), Luther College sophomore outfielder Abby Christian (Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk) and junior utility player Lexy Determan (Terril, Iowa/Graettinger-Terril), and Central College second baseman Angela Davis (West Des Moines, Iowa/Valley). All were selected at their respective positions except Davis, Determan, and Hock, who were tabbed as at-large selections.

All Third-Team selections were chosen at-large and representing the Iowa Conference were: junior Kiley Lythberg (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect), Cornell College junior outfielder Nicole Duncan (Wilton, Iowa/Wilton), and Loras College senior second baseman Michelle Bahl (Balltown, Iowa/Dubuque Hempstead).

Eleven of the All-Region honorees have previously received similar recognition, including three three-time All-Region selections. Kruse was a Second Team selection each of the past two seasons before moving up to the First Team this season. In addition, Oviatt and Duncan were Third Team picks in both 2008 and 2009. Wedemeier was an All-Region selction in 2007, Ball in 2008, and Simonson, Simon, Vande Hoef, Christian, Determan, and Lythberg earned All-Region honors in 2009.

Complete Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region Teams can be found here.

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