FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
May 4, 2009-- The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin announced its 2009 All-Conference softball team on Monday with four North Central College players making the cut. Also being honored was
Holly Roadruck as CCIW Co-Player of the Year while the Cardinal coaching staff earned CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season.
Roadruck becomes the first Cardinal since Jessica Siegel in 2005 to be named CCIW Player of the Year, sharing the honor with Illinois Wesleyan University outfielder Monica Urban. Roadruck led the team in doubles with 14 while hitting .350 and driving in 22 runs. Additionally, the junior logged 147.1 innings in the circle, leading the team with a 1.95 earned run average and sporting a team-best 15-7 record. Roadruck, also a First-Team All-CCIW selection as an at-large player, becomes the sixth Cardinal to earn Player of the Year honors.
Two more Cardinals received First-Team recognition,
Kara Reid at second base and
Laura Constantine at catcher. Reid is making her second appearance on the all-conference squad, the junior was a Second-Team at-large selection in 2007. Reid led the team with 38 RBIs, hitting .320 at the plate with 14 extra base hits. Constantine makes her first appearance on the all-conference team after hitting .324 on the season with five doubles and three home runs.
Earning a spot on the Second-Team as an at-large player was
Laura Whitfield. Whitfield led the team in extra base hits (15) and home runs (5), hitting .368 while driving in 30 runs.
Head coach Jim Kulawiak along with assistant coaches Marcy Kritikos and Tom Kulawiak captured the CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year for the second straight season and seventh time overall after guiding the team to a second place finish in both the regular season and conference tournament.
The Cardinals concluded the season with a 27-12 record, surpassing the 20-win mark for the 17th straight season and the 23rd time in the program's 34-year history.