CLERMONT, Fla. — The Sun Conference announced the 2015 All-Conference Softball team and handed out superlative awards at the conference tournament banquet hosted by PFX Athletics and the National Training Center on Wednesday night.
Regular-season champion Southeastern led the way with five first-team All-Conference selections led by Player of the Year Cat Maldonado. Maldonado has been a force at the plate and in the circle for the Fire, batting .422 with a school-record 16 home runs and 56 RBIs while going 11-1 with a 2.31 ERA.
Runner-up USCB grabbed four first-team spots led by Pitcher of the Year Kristy Cook. Cook is a second-time winner of the award after doing so as a sophomore in 2013. She returned to her dominant form during her senior campaign and enters postseason play with a 19-4 record and a 1.54 ERA along with six shutouts.
Anna Welsh of Southeastern and Laura Heberling of USCB were named Co-Coaches of the Year. Welsh led the Fire to a 38-10 overall mark and a 14-1 conference record en route to the program's first regular-season conference crown, while Heberling led the Sand Sharks to a 34-11 regular-season mark, including a 13-3 record in conference play, in her second season as head coach.
USCB's Maddie Byrd was picked as the league's Champions of Character Award winner in addition to picking up first-team All-Conference and All-Academic Team honors. Byrd is the president of USCB's Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter and has led the Sand Sharks' community service efforts. She carries at 3.68 GPA and has organized USCB's efforts to support military and first responders.
"Maddie has made me a better person and she makes her teammates better every day," Heberling said. "Maddie will do anything to help others achieve their highest potential, and at the end of the day she doesn't need the credit. I wish I could have a team full of Maddie Byrds."
Tournament play begins at 9 a.m. Thursday at the National Training Center. Follow all the action, including live stats and video, through the 2015 Sun Conference Softball Tournament Headquarters.
2015 All-Sun Conference Softball Team
C — Anna Battison (ERAU)
C — Michael Cooper (TU)
IF — Maddie Byrd (USCB)
IF — Brittany LaCasse (SEU)
IF — Anna Martin (SEU)
IF — Sam Gale (SEU)
IF — Jennifer Hamil (WIU)
IF — Haley Brown (USCB)
OF — Kingsley Avery (AMU)
OF — Missy Hughes (USCB)
OF — Alex VanWagner (TU)
OF — Kailah Rain (ERAU)
P — Kristy Cook (USCB)
P — Raquelli Bianco (ERAU)
P — Susan Hinks (SEU)
DP/UT — Cat Maldonado (SEU)
At-Large — Cheyenne Benson (AMU)
At-Large — Katie Lopes (TU)
Honorable Mention
C — Alyssa Colding (AMU)
IF — Cassidy Miller (NU)
IF — Carmen Nadal (TU)
IF — Rachel Hoeft (TU)
IF — Marissa Becker (USCB)
OF — Chandler Seay (TU)
OF — Bri Girardin (SEU)
OF — Annie Weaver (SEU)
P — Chelsie Valentine (WU)
P — Ashley Sikes (TU)
P — Ashlie Layman (USCB)
DP — Mariaha Sanborn (USCB)
Co-Coaches of the Year
Anna Welsh (SEU)
Laura Heberling (USCB)
Player of the Year
Cat Maldonado (SEU)
Pitcher of the Year
Kristy Cook (USCB)
Champion of Character
Maddie Byrd (USCB)
All-Academic Team
Talia Barraco (ERAU)
Chelsey Blasingame (USCB)
Emily Bryant (SEU)
Maddie Byrd (USCB)
Kristalie Cabral (WIU)
Carson Catasus (STU)
Rachel Curtiss (AMU)
Aileen Fiallo (TU)
Bri Girardin (SEU)
Rae Heuer (ERAU)
Christina Horton (STU)
Alyssa Householder (WIU)
McKayla Jeter (AMU)
Brittany LaCasse (SEU)
Emily Lemin (AMU)
Danielle Lower (TU)
Kaylee Mullenix (SEU)
Jelisa Potter (WU)
Jasmine Rodriguez (WIU)
Kaitlyn Romaine (WIU)
Cristina Sacramento (STU)
Kara Seymour (WIU)
Ashley Sikes (TU)
Sam Silver (SEU)
Taylor Sterling (AMU)
Sarah Vinci (AMU)
Robi Zimmerman (ERAU)