Notes: Judson softball players earn honors
FROM STAFF REPORTS June 24, 2012 10:48PM
Updated: July 26, 2012 6:06AM
Judson University softball players Sarah Boyer and Concetta Lampugnano finished the 2012 season with the final awards for the team, being named National Christian College Athletic Association All-Americans.
Sam Gladen also earned a postseason award as she was named to the NCCAA All-Tournament team.
It is the second time in three years that Lampugnano has been named an NCCAA All-American as she received the honor in 2010. The Bartlett High School product finished the 2012 season leading the team in batting average (.363) and hits (66). She had 19 doubles and five home runs with 18 RBI. She played and started in 53 games.
Boyer had the best year of her three-year career at Judson as she broke the single-season and career records for strikeouts. She finished the year with 259 strikeouts and now has 447 career strikeouts. She also broke the single-season record for wins with 19. She went 19-11 with a 1.91 ERA and pitched 22 complete games with two no-hitters. She had no-hitters vs. Saint Francis (Ind.) and North Central (Minn.). This is her first All-American award.
Gladen finished the year with a .328 batting average and 27 RBI. She posted 11 doubles and five home runs playing in 44 games while starting 41.
Judson went 28-27 on the year and went to its fifth NCCAA World Series in program history.
JU’s Sutton earns honor
Becoming Judson’s first-ever NAIA Outdoor Track All-American is Caleb Sutton. Sutton claimed seventh place in the high jump at the 2012 NAIA National Outdoor Championship Meet, making him an All-American.
“This is just a special moment for the Judson University track and field program,” said JU coach Rich Weinhandl. “We are only in our third year of existence as a program and to produce an All-American is quite a feat. I am so proud of Caleb and what he did this year at the national meet. He is a special athlete.”
Sutton cleared 6-8 for seventh place out of 27 competitors to be named an All-American. He tied three other jumpers and was seventh then due to the number of misses on the other heights. With his seventh-place finish, he earned two points as Judson finished in 61st place.
He then also competed in the triple jump where he placed 19th. He had a leap of 45-10 in his flight and was 19th out of 25 competitors.
He is the only athlete from the Judson University track and field team to compete at two straight NAIA National Outdoor Championship Meets as he also competed in the high jump in 2011. This year at the NCCAA National Outdoor Championships, he won the high jump and finished third in the triple jump to be named an NCCAA All-American, twice.
NIU hires Sutcliffe as softball coach
Christina Sutcliffe has been named head coach of Northern Illinois University’s softball program.
“I’m very excited to welcome Christina Sutcliffe to the Huskie family,” NIU Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Jeff Compher said. “Christina has strong Midwest ties, head coaching experience and a thorough knowledge of the Mid-American Conference. I feel she has all the qualifications to take our softball program to the next level and lead us to a MAC championship.”
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to become a part of the Northern Illinois University family,” Sutcliffe said. “I think it’s going to be a great experience and I’m excited to get to work and continue on the success our entire athletic department has enjoyed.”
The seventh head coach in program history, Sutcliffe, a native of Crown Point, Ind., brings 11 years of collegiate coaching experience and an intimate knowledge of the MAC having spent the last seven seasons as an assistant coach at Miami University.
“I definitely believe the MAC has become a strong contender within the softball nation, not only in the region but we’re doing good things nationally,” she said. “That was definitely a key to coming to Northern Illinois. Our conference, top to bottom, is very competitive.”
She began her tenure in Oxford, Ohio, as a pitching coach before spending the last six seasons working with RedHawk hitters and catchers. During her stay at Miami, the Redhawks won MAC Tournament titles in 2009 and 2012, advancing to the NCAA Tournament both years. In 2012, Miami complied 41 wins including 16 conference victories, both school records, and defeated No. 7 seeded Tennessee, 1-0, in its opening round contest of the NCAA Tournament.
Sutcliffe went to Miami after three seasons as head coach at Rhode Island. Sutcliffe compiled a 42-82 overall record, including a 12-25 mark in the Atlantic 10. Sutcliffe began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in 2002.
Wasco softball registration
Wasco Girls Fastpitch Softball will begin fall ball registration on July 1. WGFSL is a recreational softball league open to all area girls grades kindergarten through 12th grade. Games are played on Saturdays and only on our home fields.
Practices start in mid-August with games starting Aug. 25 and conclude with the Susan G. Komen tournaments mid-October. Wasco also offers Fall Ball Training Camps. Space is limited.
These clinics are very popular and fill up fast. Players may download a registration form, register online at www.wascofastpitch.com or call our hotline at 630-513-1200. Fees are the same regardless of where you live — no “out-of-district” fees.
