MOUNT PLEASANT – The Iowa Wesleyan College softball program has signed 12 players for its recruiting class for the 2008-09 season, Tigers Head Coach Mike Hampton has announced.
The class is led by Turkey Valley HS star Meagan Novotny (Protivin, Iowa), a three-time all-state selection who signed with IWC in October. Also included in the class are five junior college and six more high school recruits who will join the program in the fall.
The junior college recruits include a pair of transfers from Southeastern Community College in Burlington. Outfielder Danielle Boyle and first baseman Sarah Weber (Danville, Iowa) both played at Danville HS before attending SCC. Boyle
hit .293 for the Blackhawks last year and .242 this year, while Weber batted .308 for SCC in 2007 and .252 in 2008.
Other juco transfers include Kara Harris (Barry, Ill.), Molly Niedert (Sumner, Iowa) and Ashley Zeitler (Douds, Iowa). Harris, a transfer from John Wood CC in Quincy, Ill., plays in the outfield and hit .307 last year. Niedert is a utility player and transfer from North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, where she hit .377 this past season. Zeitler is a transfer from Indian Hills CC in Ottumwa, and plays catcher or in the outfield.
Other freshmen joining the program besides Novotny include pitchers Sarah McCleary (Elgin, Ill.) and Rebecca Wilson (Algonquin, Ill.). McCleary comes from Larkin HS and was all-area honorable mention this year, while Wilson led Harry Jacobs HS to an undefeated conference season this year and was a two-time all-conference performer.
Brandy Davis (Bloomfield, Iowa), Amber Gerst (West Burlington, Iowa), Hannah Milligan (West Burlington, Iowa) and Megan Wagner (Fort Madison, Iowa) round out the freshman class joining the Tigers. Davis and Gerst both are outfielders, with Davis having played at Davis County HS and Milligan at West Burlington HS. Milligan was a teammate of Gerst’s at West Burlington and as a catcher was an all-state honorable mention selection last year. Wagner also was honorable mention all-state last year at Holy Trinity HS and will also play basketball at IWC.
The recruits will look to help the Tigers improve on an 11-42 record last season. IWC lost four seniors from last year’s team and will return 10 letter winners.
For more information regarding the IWC softball program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
