SABRE SOFTBALL PLAYERS NAMED TO NFCA REGIONAL TEAMS
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and Louisville Slugger announced their NCAA Division III All-Region teams recently, and three Marian College softball players were members of the Great Lakes Regional squads, as Alissa DeWar (Janesville, WI) and Amanda Nickel (Waupun, WI) were members of the Second Team, and Bobbi Jo Merten (St. Cloud, WI) was a Third Team member.

     
Left to Right: Alissa DeWar, Amanda Nickel, Bobbi Jo Merten

DeWar, the senior catcher, was also named the LMC Player-of-the-Year recently and received her fourth straight First Team LMC honor. She hit .423 with 20 RBI's and participated in her fourth straight NCAA Tournament this past weekend. The award matched the same honor from the NFCA that she received as a freshman. Nickel reached her potential as a sophomore, hitting a team-high .452 - over 150 points higher than as a freshman and 38th in the nation. She was named LMC First Team, leading the squad in RBI, slugging %, and extra-base hits. Merten batted .444 (47th in the nation), leading the squad with 37 runs and a .492 OBP. She also received LMC First Team accolades. DeWar and Nickel were the only players from the Lake Michigan Conference on the First or Second Team, while Merten joined two Lakeland College players on the Third Team.

GREAT LAKES REGION -- FIRST TEAM
Name                        Position               School
Hannah Roberts         Pitcher                 University of Chicago (Ill.)
Shannon Gysberg      Pitcher                 Carthage (Wis.)
Sarah Tarasewicz      Catcher                 Wisconsin-Superior
Tricia McAfee            Catcher                 Millikin (Ill.)
Erin O*Connell           First Base             Wisconsin-Stout
Alissa Mildebrath       Second Base        Lake Forest (Ill.)
Colleen Schuster       Third Base             Illinois Wesleyan
Jenny Burris              Shortstop              Lawrence (Wis.)
Jill VanWychnen        Outfield                Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Brynn Hasse             Outfield                  Illinois Wesleyan
Trish LoVerde            Outfield                  Clarke (Iowa)
Erin Bravo                 Designated Player  Wisconsin-Whitewater
Haley Hallstrom         Utility                   Augustana (Ill.)
Kelly Murray              At-Large               Illinois Wesleyan
Carie Swanson          At-Large               Rockford (Ill.)

GREAT LAKES REGION -- SECOND TEAM
Name                           Position               School
Leigh Anne Furgerson    Pitcher                Lake Forest (Ill.)
Sally Wenzel                Pitcher                 Wisconsin-LaCrosse
Alissa DeWar              Catcher               Marian (Wis.)
Andrea Tsilis                Catcher                Wisconsin-LaCrosse
Kristy Nichols               First Base            Rockford (Ill.)
Dana Litchfield             Second Base         North Central (Ill.)
Robyn Slater                Third Base            Lake Forest (Ill.)
Heidi Hallstrom            Shortstop              Augustana (Ill.)
Kristen Cerone             Outfield                 Augustana (Ill.)
Becca Reason             Outfield                Lawrence (Wis.)
Kaela Wold                 Outfield                 Wisconsin-Stout
Amanda Nickel          Designated Player Marian (Wis.)
Gina Collar                   Utility                   St. Norbert (Wis.)
Erin Radley                  At-Large               Millikin University (Ill.)
Leann Barber               At-Large                Augustana (Ill.)

GREAT LAKES REGION -- THIRD TEAM
(All selections at-large.)
Name - School
Karen Guckenberger - Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Amy Brooke - Wisconsin-River Falls
Anna Poulter - Wisconsin-River Falls
Shanon Joselane - Lake Forest (Ill.)
Jamie Palmer - Illinois Wesleyan
Becky Gonzalez - Aurora University (Ill.)
Bobbi Jo Merten - Marian (Wis.)
Cathy Collins - Lakeland (Wis.)
Kelly Bolton - Carthage (Wis.)
Darcie Okimosh - Lakeland College (Wis.)
Emilee Planert - Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Kari Johnson - Rockford (Ill.)
Kim Caswell - Wisconsin-Stout
Melissa Rousse - Aurora (Ill.)
Randi Leppla - University of Chicago (Ill.)