Wednesday, May 7, 2003

Softball lands nine on All-SBC teams; Gwydir named Coach of the Year

lorida International softball coach Kim Gwydir was voted by her peers as the 2003 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year and nine Golden Panthers were named All-SBC as announced by the league office today.

Honored on the Sun Belt's first team were senior outfielder Nicole Dubovik, sophomore pitcher Amanda Nealer, junior designated player Kristen Perry and junior first baseman Cindy Turek. Second team selections included freshman pitcher Nicole Barrett, junior third baseman Jennifer Owens, sophomore catcher Marleah Stapf, sophomore second baseman Lindsay Tippings and senior shortstop Stephanie Wolter.

The nine selections are the most-ever in the program's six-year history and were the most for any team in the conference this year. Nealer, Owens, Perry and Wolter are the only Golden Panthers to have been honored all-conference before this season.

This is the second Division I conference coaching honor for Gwydir as she was named the Trans America Athletic (now Atlantic Sun) Conference Coach of the Year in 1998.

FIU finished second in the Sun Belt this season despite finishing conference play with an 11-3 record - the best in school history based on winning percentage. Louisiana-Lafayette won the league regular season title with a 13-3 record and the Ragin' Cajuns took home the Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year honors.

FIU is currently 35-23 overall and will face Middle Tennessee in the first round of the SBC Championship on Thursday at noon in Bowling Green, Ky.

2003 All-Sun Belt Conference Softball Team

First Team
P - Brooke Mitcher, So., ULL
P - Amanda Nealer, So., FIU
C - Christine Stephens, Sr., NMSU
1B - Cindy Turek, Jr., FIU
2B - Brittany Bryant, Fr., ULL
SS - Cortney Mitchell, Jr., MT
3B - Becky McMurtry, Sr., ULL
OF - Nicole Dubovik, Sr., FIU
OF - Riley Garcia, Jr., WKU
OF - Danyele Gomez, Fr., ULL
DP - Kristen Perry, Jr., FIU

Second Team
P - Nicole Barrett, Fr., FIU
P - Stayc Preator, Sr., MT
C - Marleah Stapf, So., FIU
1B - Summar Lapeyrouse, Sr., ULL
2B - Lindsay Tippings, So., FIU
SS - Stephanie Wolter, Sr., FIU
3B - Jennifer Owens, Jr., FIU
OF - Erica Buhl, Sr., MT
OF - Crystal George, So., ULL
OF - Renita Pennington, So., WKU
DP - Allison Silver, Jr., WKU

Player of the Year: Becky McMurtry, Sr., 3B, ULL
Freshman of the Year: Danyele Gomez, OF, ULL
Newcomer of the Year: Cortney Mitchell, Jr., SS, MT
Pitcher of the Year: Brooke Mitchelle, So., ULL
Coach of the Year: Kim Gwydir, FIU