UIC's Clynes, Detroit's Rafter Named Horizon League's Softball Co-Players of the Year, Loyola's Solava Earns Pitcher of the Year Honors

May 9, 2007

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INDIANAPOLIS -- University of Detroit Mercy junior Kaleigh Rafter and University of Illinois at Chicago sophomore Sarah Clynes were selected Horizon League Co-Players of the Year and Loyola University Chicago freshman Amy Solava was named Pitcher of the Year, as the League office announced its softball specialty awards and All-League teams on Wednesday (May 9). Also receiving honors were Wright State University junior Jherica Williams (Newcomer of the Year) and Loyola Head Coach Yvette Healy (Coach of the Year).

Rafter, who earned her second Player of the Year accolade in as many years, continued her dominance at the plate in 2007. The Guelph, Ontario, native finished the regular season with the loop-best marks in home runs (13), RBI (34), total bases (93), on-base percentage (.540) and slugging percentage (.816). She broke her own school single-season record from a year ago with the 13 round-trippers, while committing just four errors in 177 chances between catcher and third base.

The 2006 Newcomer of the Year, Clynes improved her billing with an outstanding sophomore season as the Flames' leadoff hitter. The sophomore designated player hit a League-high .519 in conference play. She also topped the League-only charts in slugging percentage (.963), on-base percentage (.594), runs (18), hits (28), RBI (18) and doubles (10). The St. Louis, Mo., native appeared in 36 games in the circle for UIC, turning in a 14-15 mark and 3.45 ERA in 191.0 innings pitched.

Solava had Horizon League batters off balance all year as she fanned 83 in 76.2 innings of work in loop competition. Eight of her 11 total wins on the year came in circuit play, holding opponents to a .195 batting average. The hard-throwing right-hander struck out a season-high 14 hitters in a nine-inning, complete-game effort against Wright State on April 6.

Williams burst onto the scene in her rookie season with the Raiders, hitting .474 in loop action with six doubles and three triples. She swiped a League-high 10 bases and scored a total of 41 runs during the season.

Healy guided the Ramblers to a 14-5 mark in conference play and the Ramblers' first League title since 2003. Loyola, which was picked second in the preseason poll, finished three and a half games ahead of second place Cleveland State University in the final standings.

Loyola led the First-Team All-League squad with four Ramblers making this list. Joining Solava on the list are Katerina Krause, Ashley Mitchell and Krista Crosson representing the Ramblers. Cleveland State (Christa Coppus and Amanda Houchin), Detroit (Rafter and Sarah Dickey) and UIC (Clynes and Ashlee Ackerman) all placed two student-athletes on the top squad. Newcomer of the Year Williams and Youngstown State University's McKenzie Bedra round out the First-Team All-League group. Dickey and Rafter are the only repeat members of the squad.

The Second Team features Amy Hyerczyk (Butler University), Michele Penney (Cleveland State), Amanda Macenko (Cleveland State), Adrienne Baran (Detroit), Brooke Frydendall (UIC), Melissa Marinacci (UIC), Tara Miller (Loyola), Anna Bluemel (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay), Katie Cooney (UW-Green Bay), Mollie Kaebisch (UW-Green Bay), Kristen Bradshaw (Wright State) and Autumn Grove (Youngstown State).

Williams headlines an All-Newcomer team that includes Macenko, Ackerman, Frydendall, Solava, Bluemel, Cooney, Grove, Bridget Paine (Butler), Kristen Medrud (Loyola) and Jamie Perkins (Wright State).

The 2007 Horizon League Softball Championship is scheduled to begin on Thursday (May 10) at Viking Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Opening-round action has (#2 seed) Cleveland State (8-6 in the League, 29-12 overall) facing (#7 seed) Wright State (8-10, 21-33) at 9 a.m., followed by (#3 seed) UW-Green Bay (9-7, 17-21) going up against sixth-seeded Butler (7-8, 24-22) at 11 a.m. Action continues at 1 p.m. when (#4 seed) UIC (8-7, 17-31) takes on 2006 tournament champion (#5 seed) Youngstown State (7-7, 16-20), while Loyola (14-5, 20-19) plays (#8 seed) Detroit (3-14, 11-29) at 4 p.m. to wrap up the opening round.

First-Team All-League
Christa Coppus, Cleveland State
Amanda Houchin, Cleveland State
Sarah Dickey, Detroit
Kaleigh Rafter, Detroit
Ashlee Ackerman, UIC
Katerina Krause, Loyola
Ashley Mitchell, Loyola
Jherica Williams, Wright State
McKenzie Bedra, Youngstown State
Sarah Clynes, UIC (DP)
Krista Crosson, Loyola (P)
Amy Solava, Loyola (P)


Second-Team All-League
Amy Hyerczyk, Butler
Michele Penney, Cleveland State
Adrienne Baran, Detroit
Brooke Frydendall, UIC
Melissa Marinacci, UIC
Tara Miller, Loyola
Mollie Kaebisch, UW-Green Bay
Kristen Bradshaw, Wright State
Autumn Grove, Youngstown State
Katie Cooney, UW-Green Bay (DP)
Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State (P)
Anna Bluemel, UW-Green Bay (P)


All-Newcomer Team
Bridget Paine, Butler
Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State
Ashlee Ackerman, UIC
Brooke Frydendall, UIC
Kristen Medrud, Loyola
Amy Solava, Loyola
Anna Bluemel, UW-Green Bay
Katie Cooney, UW-Green Bay
Jamie Perkins, Wright State
Jherica Williams, Wright State
Autumn Grove, Youngstown State