Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Inks Five to National Letters of Intent
11/16/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Nov. 16, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head coach Kate Drohan has announced the signing of five members of the class of 2010 to National Letters of Intent. Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias), Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport), Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias), Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) and Julia Sears (Chicago, Ill./Marist) comprise the quintet that will enroll in classes next fall and be eligible to participate in the 2007 season.
"The best way to describe the class of 2010 is athletic," Drohan said. "We signed five student-athletes who are committed to taking their game and their education to the next level. Each of these exceptional student-athletes will bring specific talents, strengths and personality, and all are necessary for the continued success of our program on the field and in the classroom.
"What excites me the most about this class is their love of Northwestern and how much they are looking forward to getting on campus."
Headlining the class is Delaney, who concluded her career as the best pitcher in Missouri state history. She is the state record holder for career wins (84), strikeouts (1,096) and ERA (0.11), compiling an 84-3 career record in high school and winning a pair of state championships in 2003 and 2005. Missouri's high school softball season is played during the fall.
"Lauren is a power pitcher who can flat out throw," Drohan said. "She has all the physical and mental tools you look for in a pitcher, and a great attitude that will enable her to get even better. Lauren has so many weapons in the circle because of her velocity, movement and change of speeds. She will make an immediate impact in the Big Ten."
Joining Delaney at Northwestern is Haug, her high school teammate, classmate and catcher. Haug is a 2005 All-State selection who holds her high school's career record with a .457 batting average. Helias went 104-8 during the pairs' four years there.
"Emily is a smooth catcher with great fundamentals behind the plate," Drohan said. "As a left-handed power hitter, Emily has the ability to drive the ball to all fields. We are most impressed with her poise, knowledge of the game and how she manages pitchers."
Another member of the class of 2010 will find a familiar face already at Northwestern. Kelly Dyer joins her older sister, Erin, who is a freshman catcher for the Wildcats. Kelly is a three-time SICA West All-Conference honoree as a pitcher and an outfielder. She was the winning pitcher in the 2004 Class AA state championship game.
"Kelly is a mature player who has an excellent feel for the game, but most of all, she is a competitor." Drohan said. "She is a natural outfielder who gets a great jump on the ball and has a strong throwing arm. We are excited for Kelly to bring her winning attitude she developed at Lockport High School and with the Stone City Sharks club team."
Pauly holds her high school's single-season record with a .496 batting average. She is an all-area and all-state selection who also lettered four years in basketball, becoming the school's career leader in steals and points.
"Nicole is an elite athlete who has excellent eye-hand coordination," Drohan said. "The barrel of her bat always finds the middle of the ball. We expect Nicole to be in the heart of our offensive production from day one."
Sears is a two-time all-conference and all-area selection who played club ball with the Orland Park Sparks, winning the 2004 and 2005 Chicago Metro championships and finishing ninth at the 2004 ASA Nationals.
"We are thrilled Julia chose Northwestern. Her speed and aggressiveness will add another dimension to our team on both sides of the ball," Drohan said. "Julia comes from a very athletic family and plays hard every pitch. Her playing experience with the Orland Park Sparks and her love of Northwestern has prepared her to make an immediate impact on our program."
Below are complete bios for Northwestern's five signees:
Lauren Delaney (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias)
5-11 • P • R/R
High School: Four-time All-District and All-Region selection ... Three time All-State selection ... Holds the Missouri state records for career wins (84), career strikeouts (1,096) and career ERA (0.11) ... Career high school record was 84-3 ... Honored as a Sports Illustrated Face in the Crowd in February of 2004 ... Named to the USSSA All-World Team in 2005 ... High school won state titles in 2003 and 2005, compiling a 104-8 record in her four years there ... Threw three no-hitters and a perfect game in the 2003 state playoffs ... Tossed a 10-inning perfect game with 25 strikeouts in 2005 ... As a senior, compiled a perfect 25-0 record with 338 strikeouts, a .09 ERA and a 14.79 strikeout per seven inning average ... At the plate, batted better than .400 as a junior and a senior ... Played club with the Kansas City Peppers, placing third at the USSSA Nationals in 2005 ... Also played club with the Diamond Wildcats, placing third in the U-16A division at Nationals in 2003 and fifth in the 18-UA division in 2005 ... Honor Roll ... Secretary of the National Honor Society ... National Society of High School Scholars ... Who's Who Among American High School Students ... Named school's Student of the Month ... Teammate and classmate of fellow Northwestern signee Emily Haug.
Personal: Born Lauren Delaney on 6/13/88 ... Daughter of Barry and Connie Delaney ... Chose Northwestern over Auburn, Michigan, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech ... Plans to major in civil engineering.
Kelly Dyer (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport)
5-6 • OF/P • R/R
High School: Three-time SICA West all-conference pitcher and outfielder ... Two-time Daily Herald All-Area pitcher ... Chicago Tribune Player of the Week ... Was the winning pitcher in the 2004 Illinois state championship game ... High school won the 2004 Class AA Illinois state championship and SICA West title ... Team won the regional, sectional and super-sectional titles in 2004 and 2005 ... High Honor roll, National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society member.
Personal: Born Kelly Kathleen Dyer on 8/31/88 ... Daughter of Robert and Therese Dyer ... Sister Erin is currently a freshman on Northwestern's softball squad ... Father played hockey for St. Xavier ... Chose Northwestern over Loyola, Western Michigan and Wisconsin ... Plans to major in communications.
Emily Haug (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias)
5-8 • C • R/L
High School: Broke school record with 40 hits during senior year of high school ... Career batting average of .457 also was a school record ... Two-time first-team All-Region and All-District catcher ... 2005 All-State selection ... Tied state record with two doubles and three total hits in the 2005 state championship game ... Team won the 2003 and 2005 Class 4 Missouri state championships, compiling a 104-8 overall record in her four years ... High school teammate and classmate of Northwestern signee Lauren Delaney ... Played for Diamond Wildcats club team that finished third at the AFA Nationals in 2003 and fifth in 2004 ... Also played club with KC Peppers at the 2005 Gold Nationals ... National Honor Society member, National Merit Commended Student, Who's Who Among American High School Students and ranked fourth in high school class.
Personal: Born Emily Catherine Haug on 2/28/88 ... Daughter of Greg and Cathy Haug ... Father played quarterback for the University of Missouri-Rolla ... Attended same high school as PGA golfer John Daly ... Chose Northwestern over North Carolina, Oklahoma State and New Mexico ... Plans to major in civil engineering.
Nicole Pauly (Palatine, Ill./Palatine)
5-10 • IF • R/R
High School: Holds school's single-season record with a .496 batting average ... Career average is .460 ... MSL All-Conference selection and All-Area captain ... Pioneer Press Great Northwest team captain ... Chicago Sun Times second-team All-Area ... Chicago Tribune second-team All-State ... Illinois Coaches Association second-team All-State ... Chicago Tribune Athlete of the Week ... Team has broken the school record for wins in each of the last three seasons ... Also a four-year letterwinner in basketball ... School's career-leader in steals and points ... Named MSL Most-Valuable Player, All-Conference and all-area ... National Honor Society member ... All-Academic team selection in every year of high school.
Personal: Born Nicole T. Pauly on 6/27/88 ... Daughter of Nick and Jackie Pauly ... Father played college hockey ... Volunteers with a U-12 girl's softball program in the summer ... Chose Northwestern over Illinois and Loyola (Ill.) ... Plans to major in secondary education.
Julia Sears (Chicago, Ill./Marist)
5-6 • U • R/R
High School: 2005 All-conference, Daily Southtown All-Area and Chicago Sun Times special mention All-Area ... 2004 All-conference, Sun Times honorable mention All-Area and Daily Southtown second-team All-Area ... High school team won regional in 2004 and 2005 ... Played outfield and infield, batting .348 for her career ... Also pitched, compiling a 9-4 record with five shutouts and a 1.13 ERA ... Played for Orland Park Sparks club team, finishing ninth at the ASA Nationals in 2004 ... Sparks won Chicago Metro championship in 2004 and 2005 ... Also ran cross country, earning team's Best Offensive Runner award in 2003 ... Who's Who Among High School Students selection ... School honor roll and newspaper member ... Participant in Big Sister-Little Sister program.
Personal: Born Julia Elizabeth Sears on 1/20/88 ... Daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Sears ... Chose Northwestern over Illinois, UIC, UNLV and Brown ... Major is undecided.
