Northwestern University Athletics
Trio of Wildcats Named NFCA All-Americans
5/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 30, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the third-consecutive season, three Wildcats have been named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans, the organization announced Wednesday. Seniors Eileen Canney (Paradise, Calif./Paradise) and Garland Cooper (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) and sophomore Tammy Williams (Roscoe, Mo./Osceola) all earned the accolades, the second year in a row this exact trio has been honored.
In addition, Canney has received an invitation to the USA Softball National Team Selection Camp June 11-15, joining Williams and Cooper in representing Northwestern at the camp.
Williams was selected to the first team, becoming the third player in Northwestern history to be named a first-team All-American. She joins two-time first-teamer Lisa Ishikawa (1984-85) and teammate Cooper (2005) in that club for the 'Cats. Williams was honored as a third-team selection as a freshman in 2006.
Williams leads the team with a .433 batting average, and has set school records for runs (70), hits (88) and total bases (146). She ranks fifth in the nation with 1.15 runs scored per game.
Canney earned a spot on the NFCA All-America second team for the second-consecutive year. The two-time Big Ten Pitcher of the Year has a 31-9 overall record with 354 strikeouts and a 1.59 ERA. She ranks among the nation's leaders in victories and strikeouts per seven innings.
One of only three student-athletes to be named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year multiple times, this year Canney became the only pitcher in Northwestern history to strike out more than 300 batters in two different seasons.
Cooper was placed on the All-America third team after setting the Big Ten single-season home run record with 22, and ranking in the top-10 in the nation in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage. Cooper was a third-team selection in 2006 in addition to her first-team nod in 2005, becoming NU's first three-time All-American since Lisa Ishikawa (1984-85, '87).
Cooper earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors for the third-consecutive season this year, becoming the only player in conference history to pick up the award three times. She also has the NU single-season school record for RBIs with 69 in 2007.
To view the complete list of 2007 NFCA All-Americans, link to NFCA.org.
