Complete Release in PDF
SEATTLE - The Western Athletic Conference today announced its 2016 All-WAC softball teams and major awards as selected by the league's head coaches. NM State's
Fiana Finau was named WAC Player of the Year, while Grand Canyon's
Taylor Nowlin was named WAC Pitcher of the Year. Meanwhile, NM State's
Kelsey Horton was named WAC Freshman of the Year and the Aggies'
Kathy Rodolph was named WAC Coach of the Year.
Finau, a senior outfielder from Chula Vista, Calif., earns WAC Player of the Year honors after posting a .412 batting average, .647 slugging percentage and .571 on-base percentage in WAC play. She finished with 16 runs, 11 RBIs, three stolen bases and 14 walks in 15 conference games. Finau was named WAC Hitter of the Week once during the season.
Nowlin, a junior left-hander from Peoria, Ariz., earns WAC Pitcher of the Year honors after posting a 7-2 mark with one save in WAC games. During league play, she led the league in wins (7), strikeouts (35) and games started (10), ranked second in innings pitched (59.1), and fourth in opponent batting average (.232) and ERA (2.83). Nowlin was named WAC Pitcher of the Week three times this season.
Horton, a first baseman from San Clemente, Calif., led the league in WAC games in runs scored (16), ranked second in home runs (3), fourth in on-base percentage (.482), fifth in total bases (27), and 10th in batting average (.356) and slugging percentage (.600). She was selected to the Schutt Sport/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25 list and ranks in the top 50 nationally in home runs and runs per game.
In her 16th season at NM State, Rodolph earns Coach of the Year honors for the second year in a row and third time in her career after leading the Aggies to their second-consecutive WAC regular-season title. In WAC play, her team went 14-1 and led the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs, hits, RBIs, home runs, total bases, walks, stolen bases, ERA, opponent batting average, strikeouts and fielding percentage.
| First Team |
School |
Ht. |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown (Last School) |
| Julea Cavazos |
CSU Bakersfield |
5-6 |
So. |
OF |
Temecula, Calif. (Temecula Valley) |
| Karysta Donisthorpe |
NM State |
5-6 |
RS-Sr. |
P |
Farmington, N.M. (Piedra Vista) |
| Fiana Finau |
NM State |
5-10 |
Sr. |
OF |
Chula Vista, Calif. (San Diego State) |
| Isabella Geronimo |
Seattle U |
5-3 |
Sr. |
OF |
San Mateo, Calif. (Notre Dame HS) |
| Kelsey Horton |
NM State |
5-11 |
Fr. |
1B |
San Clemente, Calif. (San Clemente) |
| Katie Kelley |
Missouri-Kansas City |
5-8 |
Sr. |
P/UT |
Coweta, Okla. (Coweta) |
| Makayla McAdams |
NM State |
5-9 |
Sr. |
P |
Tucson, Ariz. (Ironwood Ridge) |
| Taylor Nowlin |
Grand Canyon |
5-6 |
Jr. |
P |
Peoria, Ariz. (Sunrise Mountain) |
| Brooke Parker |
Missouri-Kansas City |
5-3 |
Sr. |
OF |
Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs South) |
| Sydney Raeber |
CSU Bakersfield |
5-3 |
Sr. |
P/OF |
Hanford, Calif. (Hanford) |
| Bri Sims |
Missouri-Kansas City |
5-9 |
Fr. |
1B |
Rowlett, Texas (Rowlett) |
| Brittney Vansway |
Utah Valley |
5-6 |
Jr. |
3B |
Irvine, Calif. (Irvine) |
| Camree Wartman |
Grand Canyon |
5-4 |
Jr. |
2B |
Riverton, Utah (Riverton) |
| Second Team |
School |
Ht. |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown (Last School) |
| Paige Bouska |
Seattle U |
5-6 |
Jr. |
DP |
Keizer, Ore. (McNary) |
| Briielle Breland |
Grand Canyon |
5-8 |
So. |
OF |
Mesa, Ariz. (Basha) |
| Morgan Byrn |
Missouri-Kansas City |
5-9 |
Fr. |
SS |
Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence) |
| Victoria Castro |
NM State |
5-8 |
Fr. |
OF |
Albuquerque, N.M. (Volcano Vista) |
| Kelsey Goodwin |
Missouri-Kansas City |
5-9 |
So. |
2B |
Broken Arrow, Okla. (Union) |
| Corrin Green |
NM State |
5-8 |
So. |
DP |
Glendale, Ariz. (Mountain Ridge) |
| Amber Grove |
Missouri-Kansas City |
5-7 |
So. |
P |
Missouri City, Texas (Ridge Point) |
| Chris Hipa |
CSU Bakersfield |
5-6 |
Fr. |
3B |
Aiea, Hawai‘i (Kamehameha Schools Kapalama) |
| Nicole Newbury |
Grand Canyon |
5-8 |
Sr. |
1B |
Scottsdale, Ariz. (Horizon) |
| Tatum Reedy |
NM State |
5-5 |
Sr. |
C |
Goodyear, Ariz. (Estrella Foothills) |
| Rachel Rodriguez |
NM State |
5-5 |
So. |
SS |
Paramount, Calif. (Downey) |
| Breezy Roth |
Utah Valley |
5-4 |
So. |
OF |
Kaysville, Utah (Davis) |
| Shea Smith |
Grand Canyon |
5-5 |
Fr. |
SS |
Waddell, Ariz. (Verrado) |
WAC Player of the Year: Fiana Finau, NM State
WAC Pitcher of the Year: Taylor Nowlin, Grand Canyon
WAC Freshman of the Year: Kelsey Horton, NM State
WAC Coach of the Year: Kathy Rodolph, NM State