Twenty-Eight Student-Athletes Claim Spring Sport All-Conference Awards

A solid 2008 spring sports season has reaped individual rewards for 28 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) teams over the last two weeks.

May 19, 2008

Sarah Fetters

Nicole Ottavi

Matt Steinke

Tim Antil

Jeremey Fruhwirth

Erik Larkin

Ryan Resides

Kaitlyn Wesseler

Allison Walker

Springfield, Ohio — A solid 2008 spring sports season has reaped individual rewards for 28 Wittenberg University athletes who were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) teams over the last two weeks.

Announcements for men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, softball and baseball have come in separate releases from the NCAC office. Individual finishes at conference championship events determined All-NCAC selections in men's golf and men's and women's track and field.

After a fifth-place finish in the conference regular season title chase and compiling records of 23-13 overall and 7-7 in the NCAC, the Wittenberg SOFTBALL team placed five student-athletes on the All-NCAC honor roll. The list started with shortstop Sarah Fetters, class of 2008 from Woodhaven, Mich., who garnered a first-team selection after three consecutive second-team honors, and a second straight All-Central Region award earned earlier this month. Fetters led the Tigers in 2008 in runs scored, total bases, stolen bases, on-base percentage and hits, and the team captain also boasted a .345 batting average, which ranked second on the team.

Joining Fetters on the NCAC's first team was Nicole Ottavi, class of 2008 from Columbus, Ohio, who earned her second career all-conference award. The senior outfielder was a prominent offensive threat for the Tigers, sporting a team-best .361 batting average, including a scorching .489 batting average in NCAC play.

The sole Wittenberg representative on the NCAC's second team was first baseman Julie Ziegler, class of 2009 from Sandusky, Ohio. On the offensive end, Ziegler ranked second on the team in home runs with three and put together the team's longest hitting streak with six. Defensively, she ranked third in fielding percentage and first in putouts.

Wrapping up the Tiger selections were outfielder Amy Myser, class of 2008 from Columbus, Ohio, and pitcher Rachael Hatcher, class of 2009 from West Carrollton, Ohio, who were both honorable mention nominees. Myser is the school record-holder for career sacrifice bunts and one of the team's most steady defensive players, while Hatcher, a second-team All-NCAC honoree each of the last two years, boasted a 9-5 record in 2008, including a 4-2 mark against NCAC teams. (NCAC Softball Press Release)

The Tiger BASEBALL team landed six student-athletes on the all-conference teams after posting a 7-9 record in the NCAC West Division to go along with a 19-19 overall record. Leading the first-team selections was pitcher Tim Antil, class of 2009 from Brookville, Ohio, who led the Tigers with a 6-2 record. Antil also boasted a 1.74 total earned run average, including a phenomenal 0.98 earned run average against NCAC teams, the lowest of all the Tiger pitchers and one of the top 10 season ERAs in school history.

Outfielder Jeremey Fruhwirth, class of 2008 from Beavercreek, Ohio, also claimed first-team honors after a breakout offensive season as he topped the Tigers with a .438 batting average, 57 hits, 68 total bases and 31 runs batted in. Catcher Matt Steinke, class of 2008 from Wapakoneta, Ohio, rounded out the Tigers' first-team selections after posting a .372 batting average, 32 runs scored, 42 hits, 28 RBI and 14 doubles. Defensively, Steinke really shined with a .994 fielding percentage, 151 putouts, 26 assists and just one error.

Outfielder Patrick Williams, class of 2009 from Plainfield, Ind., made the second team after ranking second on the team in runs scored, hits, stolen bases and doubles and tying for the lead in RBI and triples. Williams also put together the longest hitting streak in Wittenberg history as he reached safely in 27 straight games between the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

Capping the Tiger baseball All-NCAC selections were first baseman Chris Dorka, class of 2010 from Worthington, Ohio, and pitcher Darin Mumaw, class of 2010 from Fort Loramie, Ohio. Dorka ranked third on the team with a .477 on-base percentage and second on the team with 30 RBI while also leading in putouts with 255. Mumaw led the Tiger pitchers in earned run average with 1.63 and ranked third in batters struck out with 21. (NCAC Baseball Press Release)

After posting records of 6-6 overall and 1-4 in the NCAC, good for fifth place, the Tiger MEN'S LACROSSE team placed four players on the all-conference rolls, with two players on the second team and two more reaching honorable mention status.

A 2008 men's lacrosse season that ended with records of 6-6 overall and 2-3 in the NCAC, good for fourth place, resulted in three Wittenberg selections to the all-conference honor roll. Midfielder Jeff Capella, class of 2010 from Columbus, Ohio, received second-team All-NCAC honors after leading the Tigers in points (39), goals (25) and assists (14) in 2008.

Receiving honorable mention accolades were midfielder Mitch Cohagan, class of 2011 from Pickerington, Ohio, and defender Steve Koppenhafer, class of 2009 from Cincinnati, Ohio. Cohagan ranked second on the team in points and third in goals and assists in his first collegiate season. Koppenhafer contributed on the other end of the field as he accumulated 25 ground balls. (NCAC Men's Lacrosse Press Release)

In WOMEN'S LACROSSE, the Tigers finished 6-7 overall and 1-5 in the NCAC, good for sixth place. Three student-athletes, one from each respective position group, garnered second-team All-NCAC honors. Attacker Lizzie Amorello, class of 2009 from Sutton, Mass., led the Tigers in points with 41 and goals with 33, as well as game-winning goals with two. Midfielder Amber Cupples, class of 2008 from Wooster, Ohio, earned her third consecutive second-team All-NCAC award after ranking second on the team in points, goals, assists and ground balls and first on the team in caused turnovers with 14. Defender Hannah Walsh, class of 2011 from Rochester, N.Y., caused 11 turnovers, seven of which were against NCAC opponents.

Midfielder Maggie Amorello, class of 2011 from Sutton, Mass., and defender Beth Vonderbrink, class of 2009 from Cincinnati, Ohio, received honorable mention awards. Amorello ranked fifth on the team in points and goals and third in draw controls. Vonderbrink led the team in ground balls with 27 and draw controls with 39. (NCAC Women's Lacrosse Press Release)

After finishing seventh in the NCAC tournament with a 2-8 conference record, the Wittenberg MEN'S TENNIS team placed Brad Seymour, class of 2009 from Chillicothe, Ohio, on the honorable mention All-NCAC list after he finished 6-9 overall and 4-8 against NCAC opponents at No. 1 singles. (NCAC Men's Tennis Press Release)

Following a 10-7 season and a sixth place finish in the conference, the Tiger WOMEN'S TENNIS team placed Allison Earhart, class of 2009 from Yorktown, Ind., on the All-NCAC second team after finishing 4-9 at No. 1 singles. Jayne Miely, class of 2011 from Columbus, Ohio, also earned postseason honors as she picked up honorable mention all-conference after posting an 8-5 record at No. 2 singles. (NCAC Women's Tennis Press Release)

MEN'S AND WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD athletes earn All-NCAC recognition with a top-three finish in the NCAC meet. The Tiger men claimed sixth place in the championship meet, while the Tiger women finished seventh.

After throwing the javelin 163 feet, 9 inches, Ryan Resides, class of 2009 from West Chester, Ohio, placed 3rd to pick up all-conference honors. Also achieving conference recognition was Erik Larkin, class of 2009 from Cincinnati, Ohio, who tied for third with a mark of 6 feet, inch in the high jump. This was the third year Larkin collected All-NCAC honors in the high jump after placing third in 2006 and second in 2007.

The women's team also placed a pair on the All-NCAC honor roll. With a height of 9 feet, 9 inches, Kaitlyn Wesseler, class of 2011 from Huber Heights, Ohio, finished third in the pole vault. After placing second in the hammer throw in 2007, Allison Walker, class of 2008 from Columbus, Ohio, repeated the performance this year with a school record-breaking distance of 147 feet, 2 inches. (NCAC Outdoor Track and Field Press Release)

Rounding things out, the Tiger MEN'S GOLF team placed third in the NCAC Tournament to move up to fourth overall (based on results in four tournaments throughout the year). Garrett Smith, class of 2009 from Powell, Ohio, and Jeff Hochstetler, class of 2009 from Plain City, Ohio, both reaped second-team All-NCAC honors. Smith placed 10th overall with a cumulative score of 705, while Hochstetler tied for 12th with a 714. (NCAC Men's Golf Press Release)

Written By: Kendall Obreza '10

030-08