ST. PAUL (May 6, 2008) – After claiming their first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season title since 1995, Northwestern College had five individuals selected to the league’s All-Conference first team.
In addition to being named to the All-Conference team for the first time in her career, junior Kelsey Hanson (St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis) was named the league’s Player of the Year. Hanson was a perfect 12-0 in conference contests, showcasing a 1.71 ERA to go with 85 strikeouts in 13 appearances.
Hanson’s teammate and fellow pitching partner Amanda Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) also received first team All-Conference honors, going 702 from the rubber while preserving a .485 batting average. It was Rodgers’ first time being named to the All-Conference team.
One of two seniors on NWC’s roster, Natalie Slagter (Prinsburg, Minn./Central Minnesota Christian) earned first team All-Conference honors for the second time in her career. Slagter hit an even .300 in 21 affairs while stealing 17 bases. Slagter was also named to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) All-Region team.
Lauren August (Maple Plain, Minn./West Lutheran) led the team in batting average in conference games, going 31-for-61 (.508) to earn All-Conference recognition. The junior tallied 19 RBI to go with a team-high .559 on base percentage. This is her first, first-team award after being named to the Honorable Mention team in 2007.
Sophomore Ashley Weimer (Hill City, Minn./Hill City) earned first team All-Conference accolades for the first time in her career after earning an Honorable Mention selection in 2007. Weimer had a team-high six triples and five doubles in conference games, hitting .435 in the Eagles’ leadoff spot. Weimer stole 19 bases on 22 attempts while boasting a .529 on-base percentage.
Third baseman Jenny Kortus (Milaca, Minn./Milaca) was recognized by the conference for the first time in her career at Northwestern, having been selected to the Honorable Mention team. Kortus hit .419 in 2008, belting two home runs in conference affairs to go along with a team-high 24 RBI.
After the Eagles finished 8-6 in conference play last season, Northwestern turned things around in 2008, improving to 19-2, earning head coach Tracy Cromer the league’s Coach of the Year award. Cromer also celebrated her 100th coaching victory late in the season after a 13-3 win over the University of Minnesota-Morris. She currently stands second in Northwestern’s record books for all-time wins with 102.
Weimer and Slagter were also selected to the UMAC’s All-Defensive team. Weimer, the team’s everyday shortstop, maintained a .901 fielding percentage with 44 assists. Slagter, who moved back to the outfield after playing third base last season, recorded 18 putouts to go with her .920 fielding percentage.