Northwestern University Athletics
Five Wildcats Earn NFCA All-Mideast Region Honors
5/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 18, 2005
NFCA All-Mideast Region Teams in PDF Format
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Five Wildcats have been named All-Mideast Region selections by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Junior Courtnay Foster (Tucson, Ariz./Sahuaro), sophomore Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) and freshman Stephanie Churchwell (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro) earned first-team accolades while senior Erin Mobley (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill) and sophomore Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) picked up second-team nods.
The five overall selections tie NU's high set in 1984 and achieved again last season. The Wildcats three first-team selections tie the 1982, 84 and 2000 squads for the most in program history.
All five now move on to the All-America ballot to be selected at the Women's College World Series.
Mobley's selection is her third consecutive second-team honor. She joins Lisa Ishikawa (four times) and Brooke Siebel as the only Wildcats to be honored by the NFCA three or more years.
She was also named to the All-Big Ten first team for the third consecutive season.
Cooper, the Big Ten Player of the Year, earned her second-straight first-team selection. She led the conference in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. Her .461 batting clip at the plate is the fifth-best total in the country.
Foster's selection was her first to the All-Mideast Region first team after getting second-team honors in 2003. She was also named first-team All-Big Ten after leading the conference in ERA during league contests.
Canney's nod was her second in a row to the All-Mideast Region second team. She was also tabbed for second-team All-Big Ten accolades after recording wins in her first seven conference starts this season. She owns three wins over teams ranked in the top five nationally.
Churchwell is Northwestern's third freshman first-team selection in the last five seasons. Cooper earned that distinction last season while Carri Leto was tabbed as a frosh in 2001. Churchwell is ranked 21st in the nation with her .416 batting average and set the NU single-season hits and runs scored records.
Northwestern also had five selections last season, with Cooper the only first-teamer. Canney, Mobley, Leto and junior Kristen Amegin (Sacramento, Calif./Elk Grove) all were named to the second-team a year ago.
The Wildcats open their 2005 NCAA Tournament campaign at the South Bend Regional as the ninth-overall seed in the field. NU's first game is at 2:30 p.m. CT Friday against America East champion Albany (N.Y.).
