Softball names award winners
May 11, 2009 | Softball
The Wisconsin softball team held its annual banquet on Mother's Day to honor its seniors and announce the team awards for the 2009 season. Sophomore Jen Krueger was the big winner taking home hardware as both the Team MVP and the Offensive Player of the Year.
Krueger led the team in nearly every offensive category as a lefty slapper who had come to Madison two years ago as a right-handed hitter ( sportid=126&storyid=17897"> --> Watch Jen's Story ). The team's leadoff hitter ended the season hitting .323, scored 21 runs of off 51 hits, had 18 stolen bases and was walked 14 times. Playing center field, the Portage, Wis. native had a .958 fielding percentage and only missed two games all season.
Senior Alexis Garica won the Defensive Player of the Year award after ending her career as one of the program's best first baseman. Hailing from North Hollywood, Calif., Garica leaves the UW among the all-time leaders in games played, games started, at-bats, hits, RBIs and walks. Not afraid of a little contact, Garcia leaves the program as No. 2 all-time in hit-by-pitches and goes down as the program's most consistent first baseman with school records in both putouts and fielding percentage with an impressive 99.1 %.
Fellow seniors, Theresa Boruta and Valyncia Raphael won the Coaches Award and the UW Award respectively.
Boruta won the Coaches Award for displaying selflessness for her team and coaches by doing anything and everything she was asked to the best of her ability. In four seasons with the Badgers, the Chicago, Ill. native played seven different positions, including pitcher while playing in 190 career games. The three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection leaves the UW as the school's all-time leader in sacrifice hits (42), fourth in stolen bases (31) and third in stolen-base percentage.
Raphael earned the UW Award by displaying her unmatched passion for Wisconsin and what it means to be a Badger. The La Habra, Calif. native was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, co-captain is an avid member the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Student-Athletes Equally Supporting Others, the Diversity Inclusion Group, has won two community service awards and was UW's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner in 2007.
